Living in Underland
by Mystic Lady Fae
Summary: Laura and Tarrant are happily married, and things seem well for them in Underland. Leave it to some unexpected people and incidences to stir things up!
1. Marital Bliss

Disclaimer: Sadly, _**Alice in Wonderland**_ belongs to Lewis Carroll, Disney, and whoever else owns the rights. Only original characters and ideas belong to me.

AN: Sorry this is so late getting posted; life's been busy. Anyway, here's the third and final installment of my _**Alice in Wonderland**_ series. It'll be just as short and sweet as the previous two, and I hope that people enjoy it just as much. Thanks for reading, and please review!

**Chapter 1: Marital Bliss****:**

Looking over at his sleeping bride, Tarrant felt his heart _futterwacken_ madly in his chest. It was so hard to believe that she was actually his wife now, the dearest person in the world to him.

She was facing him, lying on her left side with her left hand resting delicately on the pillow beside her fair head. On her finger sparkled his rings; the diamond engagement ring twinkling prettily beside the shining gold of her wedding band. Both proclaimed her as his wife, Laura Hightopp, Lady of Diamonds.

Not that Tarrant became the Lord of Diamonds –Laura's title was for her alone, and he couldn't be more thrilled about it, especially since he had never been one for titles. The one he bore was basically his job description: Hatter to the White Queen, and that was good enough for him. Becoming a Lord would mean a lot of socializing with the courtiers and following etiquette, both of which he hated.

A soft sigh drew his attention to the perfection that was his wife's mouth. He could not get enough of their sweetness, their softness, or their shape; ever since their wedding, he had to steal a kiss whenever possible, they were that irresistible.

Closing his eyes, Tarrant thought back to their wedding day, and smiled in bliss.

* * *

After having his proposal accepted, Tarrant Hightopp, Hatter Extraordinaire, couldn't stop grinning. Laura had blushed and let him kiss her soundly, right before he indulged in a festive _futterwacken_ that had her laughing and applauding when he finished. His desire to dance fully indulged, Tarrant had swept the two of them into the castle, where he immediately located the Queen and told her the happy news.

Soon, the entire court knew, and within the day, both he and Laura were involved in some very complicated and detailed wedding plans. Dress designs, flowers, cloth patterns, food, and a dozen other things - all with a hundred different choices to pick from - were piled upon them, and before two days had passed, Laura looked as though she were going to weep from stress. In the end, the Queen put her elegant foot down, and declared that the only ones who could plan the wedding were Tarrant and Laura.

"It is to be _their_ special day," she firmly told the court. "You will merely do your best to put it together."

Now, Tarrant knew nothing of Above Realm customs, so he spent a good day listening to Laura explain how weddings were done in her land. He liked the idea of her marrying in white, though he would have liked to add some other colors to the dress to make it more suited to her. And the idea of her possibly wearing flowers in her hair had been a memorizing one. The food and drinks couldn't have mattered less to him, so he allowed her to choose, and merely added a few favorites of his own.

However, Tarrant had his opinion about the vows. He did not want either one of them to merely say "I do" –it was so impersonal, and he had wanted something so much more to their wedding than agreeing to what sounded like a business contract. He was ready to make the longest wedding speech in Underland history, but Chess and Mallymkun told him it would be a bad idea. Besides, Chess told him that since Laura planned to keep her vows short and sweet, he should, too. And so, between clothing fittings, flower arrangements, and refreshment choices, Tarrant somehow managed to write his vows, miraculously keeping them within a small timeframe.

On the day of their wedding, Tarrant stood before the White Queen, who would conduct the ceremony, and adjusted the collar of his shirt. The suit he wore was black, as was the custom in Laura's realm, but his shirt was a rainbow of colors, and his trademarked hat sat proudly atop his head. The overly large bowtie around his neck was, at Laura's request, bright green to match his eyes. He had been feeling quite handsome…until the White Rabbit blew his trumpet, announcing the arrival of the bride.

Then Laura herself appeared at the end of the aisle, and everything else seemed to disappear.

A long-sleeved, gold silk under gown flowed under a white satin over-dress with lace sleeves. The white satin bore what would have been a scandalously low V-neck, had it not been for the gold silk underneath. Along the satin V-neck were embroideries of gold and white pearls, a design that also trimmed the edges of the veil, which hung to the center of Laura's back. Her dark hair hung in loose waves, and atop her head, holding the veil in place, was a circlet of white and gold silk roses, crafted by Tarrant's own hands. In her hands was a bouquet of lilies and white roses, tied with a gold ribbon, and on her feet were dainty white satin slippers, trimmed in gold braid and pearls of white and gold.

When she took her place beside him, Tarrant had nearly swallowed his tongue as she flushed a pretty pink, the sheer white gauze of her veil barely hiding her lovely face from view. Then he watched, fascinated, as her lips formed a shy smile, and her eyes looked down shyly at the soft green grass beneath her feet. She was the most adorable, enchanting creature Tarrant had ever seen.

Before them, the Queen cleared her throat, bringing silence to the entire crowd. The Court had gathered, of course, as had all of Tarrant's friends: Chess and the March Hare stood with Tarrant as his best men (or creatures), and Mallymkun stood as Laura's maid of honor. The Tweedle twins had preceded Laura as the ring bearers, one twin for each ring, and both looked extremely excited at the honor.

Tarrant couldn't remember a word of what he'd managed to babble in regards to his vows, but he (vaguely) remembered Laura's. She spoke of how, at first, she had been uneasy and unsure about his feelings and actions towards her, but as time passed and they spent more time together, her heart had grown fonder for him. The time she had been held captive in Stayne's castle had been a blessing in disguise, as it had helped her realize her feelings for him.

The mention of her kidnapping had sent shivers of anger and fear down Tarrant's spine, but when she smiled at him, he felt all those bad emotions melt away. He grinned back at her, and heard her give a small giggle, which made him grin even wider. Chess's trademark smile was no match for his.

To keep with the traditions of Laura's realm, both he and his bride had vowed to love, honor, and cherish one another for as long as they both lived. The Queen then asked if any opposed the marriage, and if so, to speak then and there, or forever hold their peace.

Tarrant had turned to scowl at the guests, daring anyone to protest the union. A few seconds of pure silence followed, broken only by the giggles of talking flowers and the sound of birdsong on the wind. Satisfied that no one had anything to say, Tarrant turned and nodded to the Queen, who looked at him in amusement as she pronounced them husband and wife, and told him to kiss the bride. Ecstatic, he almost threw the veil into the air as he lifted it, so eager was he to kiss his beloved.

* * *

Grinning, he returned his mind to the present, and to the peacefully sleeping woman beside him.

The rest of that day had been unimportant to him, at least until their wedding night. He couldn't remember the feasts or dances if his life depended on it; he had been too focused on the fact that it seemed like an eternity before he and his wife could be alone together. When the Queen had discreetly nodded at him, Tarrant had grabbed Laura's hand and practically carried her to their new chambers.

Now, Tarrant was not ignorant of what happened between a husband and his wife (because he'd spent a good amount of time before the wedding in the library, researching it). It had been a bit embarrassing, however, slipping into bed beside Laura and no idea _how_ he was going to proceed to what was supposed to happen next.

She had blushed as he pulled her into his arms, but didn't stop him from kissing her deeply. After that, things had progressed quickly, and soon they were both in paradise. Tarrant knew from the smile on her face afterwards that she had experienced the same marvels he had. There had been many wondrous nights like that in the weeks following.

Watching her closely, Tarrant smiled as her eyelids fluttered, then slowly opened. That sweet mouth of hers opened as she gave an adorable yawn, and deep brown eyes blinked at him, still dazed with sleep. When Laura saw him, she smiled.

"Up early again?" she asked, reaching out to trace a finger along his cheek. "Why is it you're always awake before I am?"

He grinned back at her. "I like watching you sleep. Did you know you're as beautiful asleep as when you're awake?"

Laura flushed slightly, as she always did whenever he complimented her. The pink tinge of her cheeks stood out beautifully against the white silk of the pillow, and against the deep brown of her hair.

Tarrant marveled at the sight. '_I'm the luckiest man in Underland_.'

Again, she yawned. "I suppose we should get up. You've got work to do, remember? "

"There's no hurry," Tarrant said, snuggling close to her. "We've time yet."

He grinned and pressed his lips to her neck as she dissolved into giggles.

* * *

Sighing, I watched as my husband disappeared out the door of our room, whistling cheerfully, like always. In the month we'd been married, Tarrant left our room every morning with a smile and a whistle on his lips. I think married life agreed with him.

As for me, I'll admit that I'd had doubts, right up to my wedding day. After all, part of me was happy to marry Tarrant, but another part, a very small one, asked if I was merely doing this because I owed him for saving my life.

As I thought about it, though, I had to admit, I really did love him. I had probably always loved him, but never actually admitted it because I couldn't understand what my feelings were. I'd never been in love before, so I really had nothing to go off of except what I was feeling in my heart.

'_And I do feel all warm and happy inside whenever I see him_,' I thought, smiling as I got dressed.

As for married life, it seemed to agree with me as much as it did with Tarrant. According to a few of the ladies in the Queen's court, I tended to get all goo-goo eyed whenever I talked about him, and they said the smile I wore could rival his whenever _he_ saw or talked about _me_.

In my old life, I'd never thought I'd be married. I had liked being single, but then, I was relatively young, and had a while before my "biological clock" started ticking. Now here I was, waking up beside my husband, who always greeted me with a smile, a kiss, and bit of…well, '_morning affection_' before he headed off to work. Tarrant really was the sweetest man, and I knew how lucky I was to have him.

After a month of marriage, our mornings were becoming routine, but it was a comfortable one. Every day, after we woke up together and had breakfast, we separated for a few hours to do the work that came with our assigned positions in the Queen's Court.

In spite of being the Lady of Diamonds, I was still the Queen's herb gatherer, as I had insisted on keeping my old job. I didn't want to be a noble who sat around and had nothing to do all day, so the Queen agreed to keep me at my old post, and had assigned me a constant guard as protection. This allowed Tarrant to resume his position as Hatter to Her Majesty, though he'd still rather be with me whenever I went out gathering.

"I don't like you going outside without me," he said whenever I was given an order to fulfill for the Queen. Tarrant clearly feared that I might be taken again, and had not forgiven himself for what had happened, though I had told him it was not his fault.

"I know," I assured him. "But you are a hatter, and as such, you should be making hats. I _want_ you to make hats, particularly when you make them so beautifully."

In the end, Tarrant had given in and gone back to exclusively being a hatter, though I had the sneaking suspicion that he spied on me whenever I rode out the gates.

As for being the Lady of Diamonds, I was occasionally required to 'hang out' with the Queen and her other ladies, which tended to be extremely boring. Sitting in a circle, chatting quietly and politely with a group of ladies was far from thrilling, especially when most talk revolved around dresses, courtships, upcoming marriages, and other things I had no interest in.

Yet there were times when I wasn't sitting around with the court ladies, and on those days, I went for walks with Her Majesty in the gardens. The two of us would talk about herbs, plants, flowers, and books, all things the other ladies didn't know about or had no interest in. Needless to say, the walks were much more fun.

Best of all, free time was easily available to me. The Queen didn't require me to gather herbs all the time, and my presence as a Lady of the court wasn't often needed, so I spent my free hours doing whatever I pleased. Mostly, though, I found myself in the company of Mallymkun, the Dormouse, and the March Hare, both of whom had come to live in Marmoreal after the wedding. Apparently they had always lived near one another, and so they had packed up their stuff and moved here. I guess they didn't count me as much company for their friend, at least at first, but I think I was growing on them.

Mally, as she asked me to call her, was a stubborn soul who was completely devoted to Tarrant. They had fought in the war with the Red Queen together, and she'd been ready to give her life for him. I suspected that she'd had a crush on him, but it was clear he didn't think of her that way. When she had been told that Tarrant and I were getting married, Mally had been surprised, but accepted it. She wished us both well, and decided to at least try to get along with me, if only for Tarrant's sake. I'd decided to return the gesture by making her my maid of honor, which she'd accepted with a genuine smile of thanks. Since then, we'd taken to having lunch or afternoon tea together in order to get to know one another better.

As for the March Hare, I was a little wary of him. Oh, he was friendly, and had welcomed me into the 'family' that he, Tarrant, and Mally had made of themselves, but I always had to put my guard up whenever cups and eating utensils were around him. Apparently the Hare had a violent version of a nervous twitch, so I had to be ready to duck-and-cover so that I didn't end up with a concussion or brain injury. I'd already had too many close calls to count.

Today was going to be one of our 'lunch dates,' where Mally, the Hare and I would meet for lunch and talk. In the meantime, I had to find a way to kill time this morning.

It turns out I didn't have to worry. A groom from the stable came to tell me that Pearl was getting restless, and wanted to be taken out for a good run. I spent the entire morning running circles around Marmoreal, and when Pearl was close to falling over in exhaustion, I walked her back to the stable, where she gave me a gentle nuzzle.

"I missed you, too, girl," I said, pressing a kiss to her nose. "How are you and Thunder getting along? Good, I hope?"

Horses couldn't blush, but if they could, Pearl would be doing so. She ducked her head and looked away, turning her attention back to her buckets of oats and grain so that she could ignore me. Chuckling, I went back to my room, ready for a long bath.

I was just drying my hair when Tarrant came in, humming a tune under his breath. Seeing me at my vanity, combing my hair in nothing but a robe, he froze. A wide grin spread over his face, and he immediately sauntered over, looking immensely pleased.

"Well, now, there's a lovely sight to behold," he said, reaching out to run a finger through my drying locks. "I must be the luckiest man in any world, coming home to the bonniest girl I ever did see."

The Scottish brogue was showing through in his voice, but in a nice way. Since we'd married, I had learned to read the changes in his looks and voice, and how they indicated which mood he was in. Right now, he was feeling a bit…frisky, but since I had plans, I had to keep things from going further than they should.

"Sorry, love," I said, smiling at him in the mirror. "But as much as I adore your affections, I have to meet Mally and Marchie for lunch, and you _know_ how they are about punctuality."

By now, neon-green eyes had darkened to emerald, and there was no mistaking the expression on his face. There'd be no deterring him now.

"They can wait," he said, swiping my brush from me and tossing it onto the vanity. I squeaked as he swept me up into his arms, causing him to grin wider. "We've more important things to tend to."

* * *

"You're late," Mally chided as I sat down, Tarrant taking a seat beside me. "And I thought you'd be working this afternoon, Hatter."

My husband merely smiled cheerfully at her and passed a silver platter of pickled vegetables. The Hare, on the other hand, nudged her gently with a paw and gave her a _look_. It took Mally a second to catch on, but when she did, I had to hold back a laugh at the expression on her face.

"Oh, I see," she said, twitching her whiskers. "Honestly, you two! Worse than rabbits, you are."

I blushed as Tarrant eyed me closely. "Aye, and how would you know that, Mally?" he asked, smirking my way. "Must be your lovely cheeks, glowing such a rosy color, my sweet Mrs. Hightopp."

"Tarrant," I squeaked, blushing even redder.

Grinning broadly, he took my hand and pressed a kiss to it. "My apologies, dearest heart," Tarrant said, "But anyone can see from the pleased look on your face that we both had a _very_ good morning."

Both Mally and March broke into insane giggles as I rolled my eyes. "And you're no better, sir," I said, smacking him in the arm with my cloth napkin. "That smug look on your face would make anyone realize what _you're_ so happy about."

"And I've reason to be," he replied with an even smugger grin.

I smacked him again with my napkin and picked up a sandwich, biting into it so that I didn't have to answer.

* * *

Out of the corner of his eye, Tarrant watched Laura nibble her way through her meal, and felt his heart beat faster. She was absolutely radiant, as she always was after they were together, and he always felt proud that he could make his wife happy.

In the back of his mind, he vaguely remembered his own parents, and how happy they had been. Tarrant had been the only child of Chief Hightopp, leader of their clan, and his bonny red-haired mother had been the best seamstress he'd ever seen. In face, Mistress Hightopp had been head seamstress to the White Queen's mother, and to Queen Mirana herself until the day the Jabberwocky attacked.

Thinking about his mother, Tarrant believed she would have approved of Laura, and if she'd lived, she would have welcomed her daughter-in-law with open arms and a wide grin. It lifted his heart just thinking about it.

Watching her get along with Mally and Marchie was a relief as well. Mally had always been the difficult one: suspicious of everyone until she somehow managed to figure out what their true characters were. Tarrant suspected that Laura had won Mally over by asking the little Mouse to be her maid of honor –he had never seen the little creature look as proud and surprised as when his betrothed had asked the Mouse to be in their wedding.

As for Marchie –well, the Hare was more than willing to like anyone Tarrant liked, so that hadn't been nearly so difficult. In fact, for their wedding, Marchie had created a grand ice sculpture of Laura that looked so like her, people often had to make sure that it really was just a copy and not Laura herself, somehow turned into ice.

Smiling, he sat back in his chair and took a sip of tea as he watched Mally and Laura argue over what jams tasted better on toast. If this was marital bliss, Tarrant hoped it lasted forever.

* * *

AN: Kind of a sappy, fluffy chapter, but more excitement and fun will happen later. Thanks for reading, and please review!


	2. Discoveries

Disclaimer: Sadly, _**Alice in Wonderland**_ belongs to Lewis Carroll, Disney, and whoever else owns the rights. Only original characters and ideas belong to me.

AN: A bit of a surprise in this chapter. I hope it's a pleasant one for my readers. (winks) Enjoy, and please review! Thanks!

**Chapter 2: Discoveries:**

"Are you sure you're feeling alright, my love?" Tarrant asked, his voice filled with anxiety. "I don't want to leave you if you're ill."

I cracked my eyes open and gave a weak smile as he pressed a damp cloth to my forehead. "I'll be alright," I softly assured him. "The Queen and her doctor will be here soon. They will send for you when they've finished. Besides, you've got work to do, remember?"

The Queen's birthday was coming up, and Tarrant wanted to make her a grand array of hats and hair ornaments for the occasion. Of course, this had to be done in secret, for they would be his gifts to her.

He promptly shook his head. "How can I make beautiful things when you are not feeling well?" he asked. "It would be impossible to create anything lovely when my heart is full of worry for you. I will wait outside until the doctor is finished."

A gentle knock sounded on our door, and we both looked up to see the Queen and her physician enter the room. The doctor was a wizened old man with a sharp nose and a great prune of a face, but his kind smile and sparkling blue eyes put me at ease.

"Majesty," Tarrant said, bowing his head.

"Tarrant," she replied with a smile. "Oh, Laura, don't you look dreadful?"

I smiled at her. "I probably feel better than I look, Your Highness."

The physician looked amused. "Well, I'll be the judge of that. I'm Doctor Camus. Mister Hightopp, if you would please leave the room so that I can examine my patient, I'd be much obliged."

Tarrant looked as though he wanted to protest, but stopped when I squeezed his arm. He looked at me, then sighed. "Very well," he grumbled. "But I'll be right outside the door."

Doctor Camus absently waved his hand to dismiss him. "Now, my dear, what seems to be the trouble?"

* * *

Pacing outside the door to the suit he shared with Laura, Tarrant began to get impatient. The doctor had been in there for ages; what could possibly be taking so long?

Granted, it had been _his_ idea to have the Queen's physician look at his wife, but Laura had been ill for nearly a week, with no real signs of recovery. Just when it seemed she was getting better, she fell sick again, sometimes to the point where she couldn't get out of bed. And if there was one thing Tarrant hated, it was seeing his wife suffer.

Wringing his hands, he was debating breaking into his own rooms when the door opened. Whirling around, he saw the Queen standing there, a serene look on her face.

"You may come in now, Tarrant," she said, beckoning him inside.

He raced inside, flying past his monarch in order to reach his wife.

"Now, remember, take the powder once a day for the next two weeks, but no more," Doctor Camus was warning her. "After that, the symptoms should subside."

"Thank you, Doctor," Laura replied, a grateful look on her face.

When both the Queen and doctor were gone, his wife gave him an anxious smile, which only made Tarrant's stomach and heart clench. If Laura was uneasy, then something must be wrong, perhaps fatally so.

'_If she dies, I'll follow_,' he swore, taking her hands in his. He couldn't live without her. Out loud, he asked, "What did the doctor say?"

Her smile became even more nervous. "Well, he said that I'm going to be sick in the mornings for a few more weeks, but after that, the symptoms will go away."

Tarrant went cold. "Symptoms of what?" he asked, voice going a bit high in panic.

Laura cleared her throat and shifted a bit on the bed. "The symptoms of my…my pregnancy."

He stared at her. Where had he heard that word before?

Seeing his blank expression, she sighed. "Tarrant," she said, squeezing his hands. "We're going to have a baby."

* * *

I watched in shock as he fainted straight to the floor.

"Tarrant!" I cried, sitting up in bed to look at him.

The room spun for a moment, courtesy of my morning sickness, but I fought it down so that I could see if my husband was alright. He was sprawled out on his back, unconscious, on the floor, mouth slightly open. If I hadn't been so worried, it would have been a hilarious sight.

Getting out of bed, I crouched over him and gently (but firmly) tapped his face with my hands, trying to make him come to. It took a few minutes, but finally, his eyes opened. I watched as he took a few deep breaths, swallowed several times, then focused his gaze on me.

"Say that again," he whispered.

I smiled. "We're going to have a baby."

Tarrant just stared at me, eyes glazing over as though he were getting lost somewhere in his mind. I watched different expressions drift across his face: joy, amazement, confusion, and last but not least, complete blankness.

I was starting to get worried when several minutes passed and nothing happened. By then, my feet and legs were starting to fall asleep from my kneeling on the ground, and I had to shift around a bit in order to get the blood flowing into my lower limbs again. And of course, it would figure that my movement caused Tarrant to snap out of whatever mental state he had worked himself into. Green eyes sparked to life once again, and turned their focus towards me.

For a while, there was no sound in the room. I sat myself on the floor and looked at my husband while _he_ looked at _me_. Then, after what felt like an eternity, he sat up, and reached out to touch my stomach.

"A child?" he whispered as a broad smile formed on his lips.

I nodded, relieved that he looked so happy. "Yes," I said, blushing as I put my hand on top of his. "In about six or seven months, I'd guess."

It was a surprise for both of us. As a woman, I guess I should have known earlier what it was, but I'd never really been "regular" when it came to certain feminine traits, so it hadn't really occurred to me that I might be pregnant. It should have been a no-brainer, though, given that we were newlyweds and all.

"So long?" Tarrant pouted, looking at my stomach. "Well, I suppose I can wait."

Snorting, I rolled my eyes. "I would hope so," I said. "_You_ aren't the one who'll get big as a house, or have the aches and pains of carrying a baby around for that amount of time."

He looked at me in horror and confusion, which I found endearing and worrisome. Didn't he know how these things worked? Was it an Underland thing, or something particular to certain men, the foolish things they said and did when it came to learning about their wife's pregnancy?

Just then, Tarrant snatched his hand away from my belly and scooped me up in his arms. "You'll need rest," he said, tucking me into bed. "I'll have everything brought to you, just wait and see. You sit there, or lie there, and rest your pretty head while I visit the library." He waved a chastising finger at me. "And don't even think about leaving this room until I get back!"

Confused, I watched him run out the door as though a monster were after him. "What in the world…?" I muttered, leaning back on my pillows.

* * *

Tarrant felt drained. After spending all day in the library, combing through a hundred texts and scrolls, he finally understood what Laura had been talking about, but it didn't sound pleasant. Weren't babies supposed to be wonderful things?

'_But the whole process doesn't_,' he thought with a wince.

His poor wife! What she would have to go through in order to bring their child into the world! How did women triumph over such pain, agony, and worst of all, the constant hunger pangs and cravings that she would have while carrying their little one?

'_We honestly do not give women the credit they're due_.'

But it was all worth it, he supposed. To see a tiny life that was part of him and of Laura would be the most wondrous thing he could ever imagine.

A broad grin spread across Tarrant's face as he finally realized what this all meant. He was going to be a father! He could feel a _futterwacken_ coming on…

* * *

Bursting through the door of their suite, he finished the last few steps of his dance and grinned broadly in triumph. There was the sound of applause, and that was when he noticed that his wife was not alone. In a semi-circle formed near the bed sat the Queen, McTwisp the White Rabbit, and Mallmkun. Above them floated Chess, who was giving him a very pleased smirk.

"Well, I must say that you have every reason to _futterwacken_ for the next six months," the feline drawled. "May I offer my congratulations to you?"

Tarrant looked at his wife. "Don't worry, he's already offered them to me," Laura assured him with a smile. "You're just late to get them."

He straightened his coat and smiled. "Well, then, I gladly accept them," he replied. "Now, what brings such a distinguished group to our humble home?"

The Queen waved a hand towards the bed, indicating that he should sit near his wife. It was an order he was happy to carry out. Gently shutting the door shut behind him, Tarrant headed for the bed, where he took a perch at Laura's side, reaching for her hand as he did so. It felt good having her fingers entwined with his.

"Now, I'm afraid this isn't a social call," the Queen said. "It is a matter of great concern, and one which I must speak to the two of you about, especially since it involves your unborn child."

Tarrant felt Laura's hand grip his, and knew he was doing the same with hers. A great fear was rushing through them, for it was almost as if Queen were implying that something was wrong with them having a child.

He began to quickly form a plan in the back of his mind. '_If this is so, then we will leave Underland. Surely the Outland tribes would welcome us, after all that we did to free them from Stayne's rule_.'

"You had best tell them to calm down, Majesty," Chess said. "They look rather alarmed and upset."

Queen Mirana sighed. "I'm sorry," she apologized. "I mean no harm to you, and particularly not to the babe. You see, I intend to choose your child as the heir to Underland's throne."

* * *

I felt my jaw drop. "_What_?" I managed to squeak out.

"I am going to make your son, or daughter, the heir to my throne," the Queen calmly replied.

I collapsed back onto the pillows that were supporting me. "But _why_?" I asked. "Surely you must have another heir, a member of your family perhaps? Or you might marry and have a child and heir of your own someday-"

"There are no other members of my family alive, and I have no intention of marrying," Her Majesty stated. "After the war with my traitorous sister, I decided that my family's bloodline is too dangerous to carry on. My family has ruled Underland for many years, and not all of them have been good. I know the bloodthirsty and merciless things that have happened under their reigns, and I do not wish any more suffering to occur because of my family."

She looked at me. "That is why I have chosen not to wed and produce an heir of my own blood."

'_Okay_,' my brain drawled out. '_So what did that have to do with my baby_?'

Again, the Queen sighed. "Laura, do you remember why I required you to remain in Underland?"

I nodded. "You said I had a purpose here. I never understood what that was, exactly."

Tarrant rubbed his thumb over my knuckles. "I had thought it was because you were fated to bring Stayne's defeat, then return to your realm," he softly put in. "After we wed, I didn't want to risk you leaving, so I never discussed it with you."

"McTwisp," the Queen said, holding her hand out.

The Rabbit hopped forward and put a scroll into her palm. On closer inspection, I saw it was the Oraculum, the psychic calendar that showed all the days of Underland. Eyeing the document closely, I watched as she unrolled the paper to a certain day and turned it so that I could see what was there.

There was an image of me and Tarrant, him with an arm around my waist as I held a blanket-wrapped bundle in my arms. Above my head was a diamond-shape, clearly indicating my title as the Lady of Diamonds. But above my baby's head was not only a diamond, but a crown hovering above _that_.

"Oh, my," I breathed, almost ready to panic. "This is too much," I said, starting to hyperventilate.

My child was going to be a monarch! I couldn't raise a future king or queen! What if they turned out like the Queen's sister, or became a weak ruler?

A pair of hands pressed gently against my face, forcing me to look up into my husband's eyes.

"Laura, don't panic," Tarrant whispered, his voice soft and assuring. "With you as their mother, our child will be a great and just ruler of Underland."

Closing my eyes, I felt his thumbs gently stroke my face, sending waves of calm through me. Soft lips caressed my own, and the last flickers of tension eased from my body. With one last sigh, I opened my eyes to find dazzling green ones smiling back at me.

"Better?" he whispered. I nodded. "Good." Tarrant turned to look at our guests. "Will there be anything else, Majesty?"

"Only one more thing." She motioned Mally forward. "I have decided the Dormouse will become Laura's constant guard and companion."

I smiled. In spite of her small size, Mally was the fiercest mouse I'd ever seen, and I knew she'd do everything she could to serve her Queen and to protect me, her friend. Even if she could not completely protect me, she might be able to get help. Besides, she was fun to talk to, and I liked her company.

"I would be happy to have Mallymkun as my guard," I said, smiling at the Mouse, who bowed to me in return.

The Queen smiled. "Mally will have rooms across the hall from yours. When you desire to go out for the day, you will call on her to accompany you wherever you go."

From her chair, Mally made her way to the bed and jumped onto it, where she came to stand in my lap. "I'll do everything possible to keep you from harm, Laura," she said solemnly with a bow.

"I've no doubt of that," I replied.

Tarrant looked a bit skeptical, however. "And what happens after the baby is born?" he asked, looking at the Queen.

"Then Mallymkun will be assigned as the child's guard until I decide otherwise," she calmly replied.

My husband frowned, but nodded his agreement. I, personally, didn't see anything wrong with the arrangement, and nodded as well.

"The Dormouse will not be the only one looking out for Laura and her babe," Chess put in. "I believe I may be of great help in such a cause."

"And we will be glad for it," Tarrant replied with a smile. "For both your help and Mally's."

I wondered at his odd play of emotions, but Tarrant seemed perfectly happy now that he had more people to look after me. I guess he wasn't content with only one guard hovering over me.

"Now, I believe it's time to let poor Laura get some rest," the Queen declared, rising from her seat. "Come along everyone."

Mally scrambled down the bed sheets, while Chess vanished in a swirl of vapor. The Rabbit followed the Queen out the door, closing it firmly behind them, leaving Tarrant and me alone.

"Finally!" he exclaimed, leaning over to kiss me thoroughly.

Inside, I smiled. Today he tasted like mint tea, with a touch of cream and sugar –any other time we kissed, his mouth tasted different, like chamomile or lemon, to name a few. But each time, it was the same: like being enveloped in pure comfort and love.

When he pulled back, Tarrant smiled at me. "I've wanted to do that for hours," he whispered. "Now, how are you feeling, my lovely?"

"Tired," I replied, relaxing into the pillows. "The powder given to me by the doctor helps with the morning sickness. Though why they call it morning sickness when it lasts all day, I don't understand."

He smiled. "Well, if they called it 'all-day sickness,' women would not want to have babies. And that would be a terrible thing for us all."

I laughed. "Very true. So what have you been doing all day?"

"Reading," Tarrant replied, eyes focusing on the bedspread. He trailed a finger along the gold-and-silver embroidery that decorated it. "I wanted to learn what it would be like for you, and what it would take to be a good father."

Smiling, I reached out and touched his cheek. "You will be a wonderful father," I assured him, "Or at least a remarkably good one."

Seeing that I was teasing him, Tarrant gave me another kiss. "And now you must rest," he whispered. "Move over and I'll join you."

Obedient, I moved over and snuggled down under the blanket while he dressed down to his slacks and shirt. The two of us then cuddled together and closed our eyes, smiling and contented.

* * *

AN: Aw, I love babies, don't you? But things won't be calm forever, or else there wouldn't be a story. Thanks for reading, and please don't forget to review!


	3. Surprises All Around

Disclaimer: Sadly, _**Alice in Wonderland**_ belongs to Lewis Carroll, Disney, and whoever else owns the rights. Only original characters and ideas belong to me.

AN: Okay, I personally have never been pregnant, so I'm going off of what friends have told me about their experiences. I'm guessing pregnancy symptoms vary, so please don't write me about how I'm not getting things right. In the meantime, thank you for reading, and please don't forget to review.

**Chapter 3: Surprises All Around:**

Weeks passed, and I quickly learned that pregnancy had both up sides _and_ down.

On the down side, I got morning sickness, cravings, mood swings, and not only a swollen belly, but also swollen ankles. The morning sickness, at least, was treatable, thanks to Doctor Camus, but the rest was not so easily taken care of. I tried to stay on my best behavior, even as I ate more in one day than others ate in a week, and did my best to keep my emotions in check. It was a miracle that Tarrant was so patient with me, especially when I lost my temper or sobbed buckets of tears for no reason.

However, on the upside of things, I did get a lovely 'glow' that people complimented me on. Plus, I was able to help Tarrant create the most adorable nursery and baby clothes imaginable.

At the Queen's order, a small suite next to ours was given to me and Tarrant to make into a nursery. A wall had been knocked down to make room for a door, and the doorway itself had been carved with elegant flowers and vines, to make it more inviting.

For the inside of that suite, Tarrant had decided to come up with the decorations himself. Although he had no skill with a paintbrush, my husband was able to roughly sketch the walls and ceiling with the designs he wanted the artists to create.

The results were astounding. The ceiling of the baby's rooms were covered in a sky that somehow changed from day to night as the hours ticked away, and the walls bore incredibly lifelike images of flowers, animals, and hills. It was incredible work.

As for the baby clothes –well, Tarrant _was_ a magician with needles and thread, so we had dozens of things for the baby to wear. Most of the outfits were in neutral colors, like yellow, green, and white, since we didn't know if we were having a boy or a girl, but Tarrant already had dozens of bolts of cloth stashed in his work room, all in various shades of pink and blue, ready for when the baby was born. Then he would hide away while the baby slept and create a huge wardrobe for our son or daughter.

But since our child wasn't due for three or four months, Tarrant contented himself with creating outfits for _me_. As my stomach (and chest) swelled, I could not longer fit into the wardrobe provided for me when I'd first come to Underland. The very day I began complaining about the bodices being too tight, my worried husband sat me down for a talk about maternity clothes.

"What do women in your realm wear when they are with child?" he asked, after retrieving a stack of paper and pencils from the desk.

Since I was a fan of history, I brought up several different eras of maternity clothes, like the Georgian and Regency outfits popular during Jane Austen's time. I mentioned Victorian Era clothing, as well as a few modern ideas for loose tops and pants, but Tarrant didn't approve of corsets, nor of me wearing pants (which might be uncomfortable in the waist after a while).

In the end, we agreed that the Empire waist style of Jane Austen's era would be best: it would be comfortable, loose and flowing, and it came without the risk of squishing the baby, like corsets and pants would.

Of course, with Tarrant designing and creating my maternity clothes, all of my new outfits were made with love, care, and a touch of eccentricity. I had imagined something out of the BBC version of Pride and Prejudice, like loose white gowns, or other mellow and subtle colors, like pastel blue or green. What I got was completely different.

If a person peeked into my closet, they would find it full of brightly colored outfits. Various shades of purple, blue, green, pink, brown, and yellow were almost bursting from my wardrobe, and every morning I had a hard time choosing which dress to wear. Tarrant was not much help, since he thought I looked wonderful in everything, but at least he was able to narrow it down to five or six dresses for me to pick from.

Sighing, I looked at myself in the mirror and smiled. Today, my dress was a bright blue, and the high waistband was a wide strip of navy blue, almost black, lace. It was certainly eye-catching, and I loved the color, but I felt like anyone who looked at me would be blinded by how vivid it was.

'_Either that, or they'd get an eyeful of my chest_,' I thought, feeling slightly annoyed. '_I thought the Regency outfits were supposed to keep them hidden, but I guess not_.'

Tarrant certainly liked the, uh, _new_ _developments_ that were occurring with my body. He grinned like an idiot whenever he caught me changing, and sometimes wondered aloud if it would be permanent. When I told him it would be permanent, to a certain degree, he was absolutely delighted. Men!

"How are you feeling today, my heart?" a soft voice whispered into my ear. Meanwhile, an orange speckled hand came to rest on my protruding belly.

Smiling, I turned to receive the kiss that always came along with that question. As we kissed 'hello,' Tarrant's hand gently stroked my stomach, his soft touch sending calmness and love through me.

When we separated, I smiled at him as I got to my feet. "I'm alright," I assured him, my own hand joining his on my baby bump. "Tired, as always, but happy. And of course, hungry."

He smiled and gave my belly one last pat. "Well, tired can be fixed with a bit more rest. As for hungry, I can always have a proper tea brought in."

I cocked an eyebrow. "Isn't it a bit early for tea? I mean, I just had lunch an hour ago. Tea won't be served until three or four o'clock."

Tarrant wagged a finger at me. "Ah, but you are a special case, my love. For you, the chefs in the kitchens will prepare any meal, and if they haven't the ingredients for the dish you'd like, I shall travel through the wilds of Underland to obtain them for you."

"Oh, don't say that," I groaned. "Remember the pickle incident?"

Two weeks ago, after I had mentioned wanting a few pickles for a snack, Tarrant had almost gone tearing out of Marmoreal on Thunder's back, trying to find the best cucumber pickles in Underland. The Queen's pantry already _had_ pickles, but Tarrant had insisted on my having the best, and it had taken me an hour to persuade him that the pickles already in the castle were perfectly fine.

To my relief, my husband only grinned at me. "No worries today, darling," he said, reaching for my hand. "I have a commission from the Queen to work on, and will be unable to ride off looking for delicacies for you, and our child, to consume. You will have to content yourself with a typical Underland tea. Mally will join you shortly, to keep you company, as will Chess."

Then, with a swift kiss, he was gone, leaving me to go and sit in our living room to wait for tea to be served.

A few minutes later, Mally and the March Hare wheeled a silver cart into the room. On top was a large silver tea service, and on the second level below was a long silver dome cover, which hid the delicate pastries and food that accompanied it.

As always, we gathered around a tea table, with a tall stool for Mally on my left, and regular chairs for me and Marchie. I watched in amusement as Marchie held the empty cups for Mally to toss sugar cubes into, and as always, I laughed, because whenever Mally tossed a sugar cube, she did it like a human tried to shoot a basketball. I always had fun watching her do that, but it was even funnier when she missed and hit Marchie in the head instead.

When they'd finished, I poured the tea over the sugar, and added cream and lemon according to my guests' request. With tea poured, we began to relax.

"Sandwich, Laura?" Marchie asked, offering a plate of them.

"No, thank you, not yet," I said, eyeing a platter of tea cakes. "Although-"

"Oh, no you don't," chided a silky voice from above my head. "No cakes until you've had something more substantial."

I pouted and sighed as Chess came to hover next to me. "Fine. Would you pass me the sandwiches, Marchie?"

I was about to bite into a ham sandwich when there was a knock on my door. "Come in," I called, setting down my cup.

A maid entered, her face pale and stressed. "Your pardon, my lady, but there is someone here to see you," she said, quivering slightly. "It is someone you might or might not wish to see."

Mally came up beside me, her little saber drawn. "Who is it?" she demanded to know.

The maid swallowed harshly. "It's…the False Alice," she squeaked. "The one who you came with before. She's returned."

* * *

Life hadn't been the same for Ali since she'd returned home from this wretched place. She had appeared back in the dusty attic from which she and Laura had been taken, only this time she was alone, and she had a huge story to make up about her vanished friend.

Ali had waited two days before calling the authorities, giving herself enough time to go over things in her mind.

Her story for the officers was this: instead of cleaning the attic, Laura had decided to go for a walk around the Cunningham estate for a breath of fresh air. When she hadn't come back by nightfall, Ali had thought her friend had wandered off of the estate and gotten lost. Believing that Laura would somehow find a phone and call for help, Ali had put off calling the police until she was absolutely sure that something was terribly wrong.

Almost immediately, the media and the public began asking questions about Laura: where she was, what had happened to her, and how could she have simply disappeared into the English countryside without anybody seeing her? Such a thing happened, but it was a rare thing.

Ali had been lucky –most people didn't suspect a nice girl like her of wrong-doing. The police had questioned her, but said she had no motive to harm Laura.

"After all, they were best friends," detectives said. "There was no boyfriend to be jealous of, and Miss Cunningham is the rich one, not Laura Mason. If it had been Miss Cunningham that had gone missing, we'd have a motive." As it was, they had nothing.

Eventually, the investigation had gone beyond the boundaries of the Cunningham estate, and into the counties around it. People were questioned, investigated, and proven innocent of having anything to do with the missing American girl. As months passed, a single detective was assigned to the case, while the rest turned their focus to other crimes.

Meanwhile, Ali's parents were offering a reward for the safe return of their daughter's friend. They insisted that Ali move back to England, for family support, and against her better judgment, she agreed. The States held too many memories, and since her parents were offering the guest house for her to use, as well as a brand new car, Ali had no reason to refuse.

About three months after her return home, Ali's life slowly began to improve. Her best friend was gone, but as soon as Ali was cleared of any suspicions, there had been a bevy of local aristocrat girls offering their sympathy and asking Ali out to nights on the town, or to visit their homes for a weekend or two. The invitations were unexpected, and from the daughters of families her parents associated with, but whom Ali had rarely seen since she'd moved to America. They all suddenly wanted to be there for her, so she let them. After all, they were young, rich, fun, and a great distraction, so why shouldn't she?

But even after a year passed, she still missed Laura, and often wondered what happened to her. Was she happy? Was she safe? Did she miss her old life and want to come home? Had that creepy Hatter gotten to her, or had Laura finally asked for an Underland version of a restraining order against him?

Wanting to be alone with her thoughts, Ali had headed out for a walk through the Cunningham grounds. About a mile or so from the house, she tripped on a tree root, and fell down into nothingness.

* * *

When she woke up, it was to a small rocking horse with wings buzzing in front of her nose, and she immediately knew where she was: Underland.

Groaning, Ali looked around, trying to find out what she had to do now. That was when she encountered the Dodo bird, who apparently had been out on a walk though the realm, gathering news. He recognized her, and was reluctant to help her, for what he felt was a very good reason.

"You lied to the Queen, and took advantage of our kindness," he said when she asked to be taken to Marmoreal. "Why should I help you?"

"Look," Ali retorted, hands on her hips, "I just want to get back home. The only way that can happen is if I see the Queen, so the sooner you take me to the castle, the sooner I'll be gone."

She paused. "Besides, I want to see how Laura is doing."

The Dodo gave her a skeptical look, but relented. "Very well. I'll take you to Marmoreal."

The journey to the Queen's castle was significantly less pleasant than it had been the first time –at least that time had landed her right inside Marmoreal's walls.

After hours of grueling walking, they had stopped to sleep beneath a tree on a grassy knoll, which Ali hated. There were rocks under her back, and the prospect of having bugs and dirt in her hair had caused her to try and sleep sitting up, her back against the tree and her jacket wrapped around her head to keep the bugs off. She'd gotten maybe a few hours worth of sleep, total.

When morning dawned, she and the Dodo headed out, finally reaching Marmoreal mid-morning. At the gates, Ali was greeted with slight hostility and anger by the guards, but since she was traveling with the Dodo, who was very respected by the Queen, she was allowed to pass without trouble. The butler that greeted them at the door was surprised to see her, and slightly put-off, but led them to the Queen's chambers. There, Ali herself was in for a surprise.

"I have been expecting your return, Miss Cunningham," Queen Mirana said, her voice soft and serene. She rang a bell, summoning a maid who looked uneasy at what she was probably going to be asked to do. "Merry, dear, would you take Miss Cunningham to her former suite? She needs a wash, rest and food. Once she is feeling well enough, you may take her to see the Lady Laura."

Ali was so tired, and felt so dirty she didn't even think about Laura being called a 'lady.'

* * *

Never had a bath felt so good. Hot water, a quick nap, and a good meal put Ali back in good spirits, and once she was dressed in a blue gown, she followed the maid out into the castle halls. To her surprise, Ali was led to a different part of the palace than where Laura's rooms had previously been.

"Where are we going?" she asked, watching as they headed down a very beautiful hallway that she had never seen before. "What is this place?"

"This is where the highest and most important courtiers dwell," the maid answered over her shoulder.

'_Important courtiers_?' wondered Ali. '_If that's so, then why is Laura here_? _Maybe it has to do with the reason I had to leave Laura behind_?' Was she given fancy rooms to compensate for her 'great destiny,' or whatever was the reason for her remaining in Underland?

The maid stopped before a large door and knocked. "Come in," a familiar voice called, and the maid entered. "Your pardon, my lady, but there is someone here to see you," she announced, standing just out of Ali's sight. "It is someone you might or might not wish to see."

"Who is it?" demanded a different, voice, this one higher pitched.

"It's…the False Alice," the maid squeaked. "The one who you came with before. She's returned."

Ali heard someone gasp, and a few people muttering. Finally, she heard Laura say, "Show her in."

Eager to see her friend, Ali went in as soon as the maid came back and nodded for her to enter.

That's when Ali got the shock of her life. It was Laura, dressed in a magnificent bright blue dress, and very obviously _pregnant_.

"Oh, my god," she gasped. "Laura! You – you're pregnant?"

How could this have happened? Well, Ali _knew_ how this happened, but the idea of _Laura_ having a baby didn't really click.

"Who's the father?" Ali demanded. "Did you meet someone?"

"That's none of your business," said a high voice, tinged with anger.

That was when she noticed who else was in the room: the Dormouse, the March Hare, and the creature who had ruined her whole stay in Underland, the Cheshire Cat, who was grinning smugly at her. She glared at them all, wondering why her friend was sitting there, having tea with them.

Laura sighed and moved to get up. The Cheshire Cat immediately went to her side and helped her out of the chair. "Carefully, dear one," he said, patting her back as she stood firmly on her feet.

"Thank you, Chess," Laura said, smiling. "Ali, perhaps you and I should go for a walk? There's a lot I have to catch you up on."

"Not without me, you're not," declared the Dormouse. "Remember what the Queen said?"

"And I shall accompany you as well," said the Cheshire Cat. "Tarrant would never forgive me if I let you out of my sight."

Ali felt her jaw drop. "Tarrant?" she blurted out. "As in the Hatter?"

"Of course," Laura calmly replied. "He's my husband and the father of my baby."

* * *

AN: Slightly shorter chapter, but I thought that'd be a good place to end it. More fun coming up soon, I promise. Thanks for reading, and please review!


	4. Much Needed Discussions

Disclaimer: Sadly, _**Alice in Wonderland**_ belongs to Lewis Carroll, Disney, and whoever else owns the rights. Only original characters and ideas belong to me.

AN: A little bit of a confrontation in this chapter, which I think people will like. Thanks for reading, and please review!

**Chapter 4: Much Needed Discussions:**

Ali had kept quiet as we left my rooms, but I knew that behind those blue eyes of hers, trouble was brewing. Sure enough, as soon as we were in the Queen's private gardens, far away from the castle and any overhearing ears (except for Chess's and Mally's), that trouble burst out.

"Laura, are you _out of your mind_?" Ali cried, waving her hands dramatically in the air. "You actually _married_ that lunatic? What on earth _possessed_ you to do that?"

I glared at her. "You will not talk about my husband that way again," I said, my voice deathly cold.

She stared at me in shock. I'd never spoken to her like that before, and I could tell she didn't expect it, nor did she like it.

Seconds ticked by while Ali gathered herself again. "Laura," she said, speaking as though I were a child or an idiot. "They must have done something to you. You can't seriously care for that man. I mean, you could barely stand him when I left!"

"Things change," I said, shrugging. "It's been over a year since you left, Ali. Time may have passed differently in the Above Realm, but here it's been a year, and things do tend to change in that amount of time."

"But I'm here _now_," she desperately replied. "I know things are a bit altered for you, but I believe that I have been sent here for a reason. Maybe it's so I can bring you and your baby home with me. We can go back together and you can have your child back in our world, where you both belong, not here where you don't!"

"No," I firmly told her. "I won't leave Underland, and I won't leave my husband."

I could see she was exasperated. Sighing, I waved towards a bench nearby. We both took a seat, and Mally rushed over, scrambling up my gown so that she could sit in my lap. I carefully arranged my arms around her, so that my hands were clasped and she could lean against them if she wanted.

"Ali, I'm sorry," I said, "But I'm different now. I'm married to a wonderful, kind man who thinks the world of me, and who will be a good father to our baby. I know you won't believe me when I say that I love him, but I do, and I plan to stay here in Underland to raise our child to be a good monarch."

Ali stared at me. "Monarch? You mean…your baby is going to be the next king or queen? Why? How does that work?"

"Well, to make a long story short, the Queen declared that she has no wish to marry or have an heir of her own," I said, caressing my baby bump. "She says her bloodline is too toxic and dangerous, so she's decided to choose our child as heir."

"Actually, there's more than that," Chess said, coming to hover in front of us. "The Laws of Underland state that the present ruler _must_ have an heir, whether by blood or choosing. If the White Queen should perish without leaving a publicly acknowledged heir-to-the-throne, open war would be imminent."

"Even worse, _anyone_ could become king or queen," Mally said, glaring at Ali. "There are many noble houses whose bloodlines make them eligible for the throne, including Ilosovic Stayne, the Knave of Hearts."

I shivered at the sound of that name. I'd never told Tarrant, but sometimes I had nightmares about my time in the Knave's castle, and woke up feeling cold and frightened. But whenever I had a bad dream, Tarrant's arm was always around my waist, holding me close to him. His presence always chased away my fears, and left me feeling warm, so I never told him my troubles.

'_Besides, he has enough to worry about with the baby coming_,' I smiled, rubbing my belly again.

A tiny paw joined my hand. "They'll be safe with me," Mally said, patting my stomach.

"Thank you, Mally," I replied, touched by her gesture.

"Are you _serious_?" Ali huffed. "A _mouse_ is going to keep you safe?"

I glared at her. "Mally happens to be a very formidable mouse," I defended. "She's quite good in a fight."

"And she is not the only one protecting Laura," Chess reminded us.

Ali rolled her eyes. "Great. A cat and a mouse are protecting a pregnant woman. It sounds like a horrible, crazy joke to me."

I exchanged grins with Chess and Mallymkun. "Well, we _are_ all a bit mad here in Underland," I drawled out. "It's what makes us all so fun and interesting."

"Hear, hear!" the two animals cheered.

Ali shook her head and scowled. "You're all insane."

"Thank you," I replied with a grin. "I appreciate that."

She merely huffed and crossed her arms. "Well, I can see there's no talking to _you_ right now. I'm going to go take a nap. Can I meet you later?"

"I'd like it if you joined us for dinner," I said, earning a scowl from Mally. "Around six o'clock?"

Ali accepted and headed inside, leaving me alone with my two bodyguards.

"I don't like it," Mally grumbled as soon as Ali was out of earshot.

"Nor do I," Chess agreed, blue eyes staring after the retreating figure. "However, I believe she was brought here for a reason, though what that could be is the question."

I sighed. "I have the feeling that both of you are right. I think Ali is going to cause some trouble while she's here, so I need one of you to keep an eye on her whenever she's alone. Chess, I think that, with your invisibility powers, it should be you. Ali tends to talk to herself when she's alone, and if she mentions anything suspicious, you are to inform me and the Queen at once."

Chess grinned and allowed his body to disappear. "As you command, Lady of Diamonds."

Then he was gone, leaving me with Mallymkun, who looked displeased. "You shouldn't have sent him away," she lectured me. "We're supposed to be keeping you safe! How can we do that if only one of us keeps an eye on you?"

"But you _are_ keeping me safe," I assured her. "With Chess keeping an eye on Ali, it will be easier to find out what she's up to and keep the damage from spreading too far."

Smiling, I gently petted her head with a finger, which she always enjoyed. "Besides, I have you with me, and when I do, I always feel safe."

Mally looked as though she wanted to protest, but gave in when I petted her again. "Well, alright," she grudgingly said. "But the minute she shows any harm towards you-"

"I know you'll do what's necessary," I finished for her. "Now, would you like to go for a walk with me? I need the fresh air, and the flowers have probably been missing me."

* * *

An hour later, I was in my room, sprawled out on the bed and physically exhausted. Mally was standing outside my door, keeping watch, so I relaxed back into the pillows and closed my eyes.

However, my mind wouldn't let me rest. It was constantly buzzing with thoughts about Ali and why she was here, suddenly landing in Underland after all this time. Was it a sign of some kind, a way of telling me to go back to my own world?

'_No, I can't do that_,' I firmly told myself. '_And_ _I won't do that to Tarrant._'

I could only imagine the heartbreak that my poor Tarrant would go through if I were to leave Underland. He might just fall down and die right there, and I could not do that to someone I loved so dearly.

'_Besides, I don't even __**want**__ to leave_,' I frowned, rubbing my stomach.

True, I had family and friends back home, but I wasn't really missing them. I was sure my parents missed me, but we hadn't been close since I'd moved to the East Coast. My friends there were few and I rarely saw them anyway, because I spent so much time with Ali.

My mind froze. '_Ali_,' it whispered. Was that why I had been so distant with people back home, because of Ali?

A huge shudder went through my body as a revelation hit me. I'd been so wrapped up in making Ali happy that I'd never gone out and socialized with other people. We had done everything together: dance clubs, concerts, movies, dinners and afternoon coffee. I hadn't really thought about making more friends because Ali was always there, wanting to do something even when I didn't want to. If I ever said 'no' to going out, she merely dragged me along, supposedly to keep me from 'being bored at home.'

The truth was, Ali didn't like being alone. I liked quiet and solitude (both of which could be rare back home and in Underland), but she didn't. Ali couldn't stand going anywhere without me with her, and at times, I felt like I was her entourage, always following her around, entertaining her and keeping her company.

"Why didn't I realize that before?" I wondered aloud.

And as harsh at it may seem, I liked my life far better without her. I didn't have to amuse her whenever she looked bored, or accompany her to places I didn't want to go. I was literally free to live my own life, and that's what I'd been doing.

"Huh," I said, smiling at the white vaulted ceiling. "Who'd have thought?"

"Thought of what?" quipped a cheerful male voice. I grinned and struggled to sit up. "No, no, darling, stay where you are."

A second later, I was joined on the bed by my husband, who propped himself up right next to me and gave me a swift kiss as he patted my belly.

"Now that I've indulged myself in your sweet mouth, my fair lady," Tarrant said with a grin, "Will you tell me what you were thinking of when I came in?"

I smiled at the sight of him, head resting in his hand as he stretched out on the bed, looking down at me. He looked extremely pleased, but that was nothing new; Tarrant always looked happy after he kissed me (which he often did).

"I was thinking about Ali," I replied, reaching up to straighten his overly-large bowtie.

The smile on his face faded a bit. "Aye, I'd heard that she had returned," he muttered, his mood going dark. "Not everyone is pleased she's here, but the Queen announced that she was to be her guest for a while yet."

"For how long?"

He sighed and moved closer to me. "Until the potion to send her home is ready. That will be a week or so from now, which I feel isn't fast enough."

"Now, Tarrant," I chided him, "That isn't very nice."

"I don't want to be _nice_," he said, caressing my stomach one last time before moving his hand up to my hair. "I want her far away from here so that we can live in peace."

As he said that, his face was full of fear and worry, maybe even a bit of panic. Sensing what was disturbing him, I reached up and took his hand from my hair to grasp it in one of mine.

"You're afraid that I will want to go back with her," I whispered.

Those vibrant green eyes turned sad. "She is a reminder of the world you left behind," Tarrant whispered glumly. "I fear you will miss it and return there, leaving me here without you."

Still clutching his hand with one of mine, I reached up with the other and touched his cheek. "That will never happen," I told him firmly. "I _love_ you, and I am _not_ going to leave you."

I put his hand back on my baby bump. "I am going to have our child here in Underland, where we will both raise him, or her, to become the next ruler of its people."

A tremendous grin spread across his lips. "She will be a great queen," he whispered, leaning to press a kiss to my bump.

I quirked an eyebrow. "She?" I asked. "What makes you think it's a girl?"

"I just know," he casually replied, gently patting my stomach.

"And here I thought it was the mother's job to know the baby's sex before anyone else did," I said, laughing.

Tarrant's laughter joined my own, and soon the entire room rang with it.

* * *

Unfortunately, our amusement did not last. I had to tell Tarrant that Ali was coming over for dinner, and he didn't look happy about it. However, he was willing to put up with her presence, if only for my sake, and I was immensely thankful that Mally and Chess would not be joining us; I would have enough trouble keeping Tarrant from throwing Ali out of our home.

At exactly six o'clock, Ali arrived, though she looked less than thrilled about it. Tarrant wasn't pleased, either, and kept a constant presence by my side as I greeted our guest and seated her at our table. The Queen's chefs had prepared a marvelous meal at my request, and we dined on fish in a delicate cream sauce, roasted vegetables cooked in butter and parsley, and chocolate mousse for dessert.

The meal was quiet, except for the polite conversation about the weather, and how the Queen's gardens were doing. Ali even asked Tarrant how his hats were coming along, and he replied – at length – about the designs and materials he was using.

We kept our polite charade until the dishes were taken away by a train of maids and servers. A sparkling berry cider was served as an after-meal beverage, and once we'd settled down in the living room area, I could feel the tension in the air grow immensely.

"So, Laura," Ali said, swirling her cider around in her glass, "Married life seems to agree with you."

I could feel Tarrant stiffen beside me, and put a hand on his arm in order to calm him. "Yes, it does," I replied, smiling politely. "We're very happy."

"I'm glad to hear it," she remarked, sipping her drink.

Taking a sip of my own glass of cider, I could see that Ali didn't believe that I was content with my life. I suppose I'd have to convince her.

"Ali, I know you don't believe me when I say I'm happy, but I am," I said, setting aside my glass. "I love Tarrant, and I love this kingdom. Why can't you understand that?"

"Because it's not your home!" she exclaimed, forcefully setting her cup down. "You were forced to stay here because the Queen thought you had a purpose, even though she never said what it was."

I could see that Tarrant was growing angrier with every word Ali said, and knew that I had to do something before he acted out.

"Ali, my purpose here is to give birth to the next heir to Underland," I said, my hand firmly gripping my husband's arm so that he didn't try anything rash.

She snorted. "And I suppose you think you were brought here to meet the Hatter and marry him? Is that why you did it, because you thought you had to?"

"Laura married me because she loves me," Tarrant growled, his eyes starting to go red with fury. "And don't you dare say otherwise, you ignorant, spoiled girl."

"Who are you calling spoiled?" Ali snapped, rising from her seat.

"Enough!" I ordered, standing between my husband and my soon-to-be former friend. "Ali, he's right. You're acting like a child who won't let go of something that's already gone from your grasp."

"Laura!" she gasped. "How can you say that?"

"Let me finish," I ordered. "I have a life here, and a very happy one, too. I have a husband who loves me, and whom I love in return. I'm having a baby who will be loved by their parents, and who will be raised so that they can be a great and good ruler of this kingdom. You have to realize that there's more to my life now than making _you_ happy."

With that, I stormed to the bedroom and slammed the door behind me.

* * *

"You should leave," Tarrant quietly said to his guest (and he used the term loosely).

Ali looked as though she wanted to go after Laura, but he put a hand on her arm to restrain her.

"She is no longer part of your world," he said bluntly, his anger dying down to a mere flicker of what it had been a moment ago. "Laura has been accepted by not only the people of Underland, but also the animals and flora that dwell here. She is loved and respected, and has even been given a title by the Queen. She has grown far beyond the person you knew."

Ali gave him a skeptical look. "A title? What do you mean?"

"She had been dubbed the Lady of Diamonds, a position at court that has sat empty since the days of Queen Mirana's mother. Laura helped defeat the Knave of Hearts, who plotted to overthrow the Queen, and was rewarded with a title and permanent position at Court."

Tarrant felt a swell of pride as he described his wife's actions, and was immensely satisfied at the look of surprise and confusion on Alice Cunningham's face. When she said nothing more, he waved towards the door.

"Now, if you will excuse me," he said, "I must tend to my wife."

He was vaguely surprised that Ali left without a word, but there was a lingering feeling in the back of his mind, telling him that she would come up with something by tomorrow. But tomorrow was tomorrow, and Laura needed him now.

After locking the main doors behind their guest, Tarrant went to the bedroom, only to find his wife snug and asleep under the covers. Undressing quickly, he slipped in beside her and searched her face. It was peaceful and unmarred by tears; she had not cried herself to sleep.

Sighing in relief, he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close before drifting off to dreams himself.

* * *

AN: Review?


	5. Behind Closed Doors

Disclaimer: Sadly, _**Alice in Wonderland**_ belongs to Lewis Carroll, Disney, and whoever else owns the rights. Only original characters and ideas belong to me.

AN: This chapter is going to be mostly Ali's point of view. Hopefully, people won't mind. Thanks so much for reading, and please review!

**Chapter 5: Behind Closed Doors:**

Angrily pacing her room, Ali tried to think through everything she'd learned after just one evening in Laura's rooms.

"_Laura's_ rooms?" she muttered with a sneer. "It's a suite bigger than the guest house at my parents' estate!"

Not only that, but it was richly decorated, though Laura didn't seem to notice it. Given that it was hers, she probably didn't pay attention to it anymore.

"Mum would give her right arm for the white and gold tapestries hanging on the walls," Ali grumbled as one hand fiddled with her blonde hair. "And Dad would love to see those impressive wood tables, desks and chairs."

And that had been only part of what she'd seen in the living room/public area. There was, no doubt, a large bedroom, a bath, and smaller living room for personal use; Ali could only imagine what was in _those_ parts of the suite. There were probably silk or satin sheets on the bed, with a heavily decorated comforter and down-filled pillows on top. Maybe a beautiful vanity for Laura, covered in bottles of perfumes, vases of flowers, and lengths of silk ribbons, perhaps?

'_Okay, so I'm jealous_,' Ali admitted, her insides twisting the more she thought about it. '_Laura's been sitting around here, living a sweet life while __**I've **__been fending off the police and their investigation into her "disappearance." Honestly, can anyone blame me for being upset and wanting to take her back home with me, if only to stop the authorities from coming around_?'

Besides, she missed her best friend. They had been friends so long, and done everything together. It was difficult having someone so dependable vanish from her life.

But then, here Laura was: a happily married woman, ennobled as the Lady of Diamonds, a friend to the White Queen, and mother to the heir-to-be of Underland! Who wouldn't be jealous of that?

Well, Ali wasn't envious about the husband part. Just the idea of being anywhere near the Hatter gave her chills, especially when he got angry. It was just creepy the way his eyes went orange and red when he got upset, and she could only imagine how violent he might get if he lost control of his temper.

'_That's another reason to get Laura out of here_.'

She just couldn't bear it if that crazed Hatter did anything to hurt her friend. Laura might say that she loved him, but didn't most women in harmful relationships say that about their husbands?

Breathing deeply to calm herself, Ali closed her eyes. If she were going to do this right, she needed rest, and plenty of it. Tomorrow was another day, and that was when she'd get things moving.

* * *

When Ali woke the next morning, breakfast had already been left on a table near her bed. It was still hot, so she really had nothing to complain about.

After having her toast, coffee, and breakfast pastries, Ali got up, dressed, and began to pace the room, her mind whirling. There had to be a way to get Laura to come back with her, even if it was against her will.

"It's for the best," she whispered, "Not only for Laura, but for her baby."

Her friend couldn't possibly want to raise a child in this crazy place. Yeah, it was novel, but after a while, _anyone_ could see how strange and twisted it could be, not to mention dangerous. Anyplace where the flowers could talk back to you couldn't be a nice world to stay in.

'_And then there's the Hatter_,' Ali reminded herself.

First, the guy was clearly insane, if his name was any indication. Second, Ali had seen first hand that the guy could get very angry, which meant that he could get violent. Not only that, but he was a favorite of the Queen, so it was possible that no one wanted to rein the guy in whenever he lost his temper.

'_I've got to get her out of here_.'

But how? It wasn't easy to drag a pregnant woman anywhere, so how was she going to get Laura out of Underland without causing a huge scene?

Thinking back, Ali remembered that the Queen had made her drink a potion that had sent her back to the exact day and time both she and Laura had disappeared from. Would the same thing happen in this instance? Could it be that simple: drinking a mouthful of some nasty concoction to send the both of them back to their world?

She stopped pacing and bit her lip. '_Well, it worked once before, so why not this time_?'

There was a sudden knock on the door, and after Ali called for the knocker to enter, a maid clad entirely in white came in.

"Her Majesty would like a word with you, if you please, Miss Alice," she said with a slight curtsey.

Nodding, Ali followed the maid through the hallways of Marmoreal, blue eyes darting to look at the white, black, gold, and silver that decorated the walls around her. After several turns, they arrived at a pair of large, white wooden doors heavily inlaid with gold and silver. Even the massive doorknobs were made of gold!

The maid knocked, and a finely dressed lady answered. Words were whispered back and forth, and soon the maid headed off, leaving Ali to follow the lady-in-waiting into the Queen's chambers. She walked through an entry chamber, and into a receiving room, where the Queen herself sat perched on a silver throne with green cushions.

"Miss Alice Cunningham, Your Majesty," the lady announced before stepping aside.

Dismissing the lady with a wave of her hand and a smile, the Queen nodded. "Welcome, Alice," she said as doors closed, leaving the two of them alone.

Knowing it would be best to stay on everyone's good side, Ali curtseyed. "Majesty."

"I have brought you here to tell you there will be a delay in my returning you to your realm," the Queen said, her voice soft, but authoritative. "The potion that will send you home takes a great deal of time to brew and condense properly, so you must remain here in Marmoreal for seven days. I hope that is agreeable to you?"

She couldn't have given Ali a more perfect opportunity. "Yes, Majesty," Ali replied, with a curtsey. "That is most agreeable. I thank you for your kindness and your generous hospitality."

The Queen nodded. "I will summon you when the potion is ready. In the meantime, you are free to spend time with Laura and wander where you are permitted in the castle."

Ali could hear the dismissal in her voice, and bowed her head as she backed up three steps, turned, and walked out the door, all the while facing downwards. Not that she was being humble or anything; she just didn't want the Queen or her ladies to see the broad smile on her face.

* * *

Once she was back in her room, Ali once again began to pace. She did her best planning when in a pinch or when she was on her feet, and since she was in both situations, it was a prime time to get her brain running.

"So the potion meant to send me home isn't ready yet," she muttered aloud (another thing she did when thinking).

That meant…what? It certainly gave her a few days to put something together, but not enough for her to act on that plan. Was the answer to her problems staring back in her face? She'd had an idea before being summoned by the Queen, but the interruption had broken her train of thought.

Ali snapped her fingers. "The potion!" she exclaimed, grinning. If the potion could send her back home, it could do the same for Laura and the baby.

There were, however, two problems. First, how was she going to get her hands on some of the potion? Second, how the hell was she going to get Laura to swallow it, without causing suspicions?

'_I mean, it's not like I can ask the Queen for a sample of the potion. And even if I did get any of it, I couldn't get Laura to drink something out of a small vial_, _just for kicks or otherwise_.'

No, Laura would be suspicious of anything handed to her in a potion bottle. Maybe if it were slipped into something she ate or drank? Would that work?

Ali shook her head. First things first: she had to get some of the potion. In order to do that, she had to know where the Queen's potion brewing room was.

And she knew just the person to tell her.

* * *

"Thanks for giving me a tour of the castle, Laura," Ali said with a smile. "I never got around to exploring it the first time I was here. Guess I missed out on a lot, huh?"

Laura gave her a strange look, but said nothing. Ali knew her friend was wondering why she was showing such interest in the palace, but she'd still agreed to show her around. Ali had merely knocked on her friend's door, apologized for being so obnoxious, and asked if they could take a walking tour of the palace together.

It hadn't been easy. The Hatter had been there, with the little Dormouse standing on a table nearby, both of them throwing disapproving looks at her. Laura had hesitated, but after a moment's consideration, she had given in to Ali's request.

After Laura had agreed, though, she'd gone back inside to tidy herself up. Left out in the hallway, Ali had pressed her ear to the lock in order to hear what was being discussed. The Hatter and Dormouse had wasted no time in telling Laura that something must be amiss, and that she shouldn't be so trusting of their 'visitor.'

Laura, ever faithful in friendship, had decided to give Ali the benefit of the doubt, and told her husband and 'guard' that things would be fine.

"You're welcome to accompany us, if you'd like," she offered, causing Ali to sneer.

Fortunately, Tarrant had refused. There was work he needed to finish for a few noble lords and ladies, all of whom had requested hats for the Queen's birthday celebration in a few weeks. He couldn't afford to put those tasks aside.

The Dormouse, however, was another story. She was eager and willing to go, because Laura was her friend, and it was her task to protect her and the precious child she was carrying.

Presently, the Mouse was perched on Laura's shoulder, glaring at Ali with her black, beady eyes. If looks could kill, Ali would have been dead and buried two hours ago.

"And this is where the Queen brews her potions, both magical and non-magical."

Ali looked at the doorway. It looked like all the others, except it had a crown engraved on the wood, indicating that it was a favorite hang-out of the Queen.

'_So this is where magic is, literally, made_?' Ali wondered.

On the outside, it didn't look like much, but she knew better than to judge a room by its door. Who knew what kind of weird things were in there, either brewing or waiting to be brewed?

'_But_ _I'm only interested in one __**particular**__ brew_.'

"Have you ever been inside?" Ali asked, glancing over at Laura.

Her friend nodded. "Occasionally," she replied. "I'm the Queen's herb gatherer, and I often have to bring ingredients to her while she's in the middle of brewing her potions. I never stay long, though. Interrupting her work is not a good idea."

Ali considered that. If Laura never stayed inside the potion room very long, it was likely she wouldn't know what the different kinds of mixtures looked like. Thus, Laura wouldn't notice if Ali were to slip her a potion. But on the other hand, Ali wouldn't be able to squeeze any kind of information out of her, either.

'_Maybe a trip to the library is in order_?' she wondered, chewing the inside of her cheek.

There had to be something in that massive book collection. After all, if the monarch was a mixer of mystical brews, then it would make sense that the library would have a huge selection on the subject, right? And Laura would surely know where all of those books were kept…

"Could we see the library?" Ali asked, smiling as she took Laura's arm in hers. "I never got the chance to go there, either, the last time I was here."

* * *

The library was huge, certainly bigger than anything Ali could have imagined. Thankfully, just as she expected, Laura showed her around the walls of books, scrolls, and little paper booklets. It was easy enough to locate the shelves where books related to potion-making were kept, and even easier to pick out the one that would help in Ali's plan.

'_Especially when that book is titled, '__**Magical Brews and Their Purposes**_.'' Ali made a note to go find it again later.

By the time they finished the tour, it was lunch time, and Laura was clearly famished. They sat down for their meal in the suite Laura shared with her husband, and were served a hearty meal by a bevy of maids, all of whom looked thrilled to be waiting on her. They curtseyed, and murmured "my lady" as they placed trays of food on the table, poured glasses of lemonade and water, and took away the silver dish dome covers after displaying the food underneath.

As she ate her meal, Ali couldn't help but worry over how easily Laura was fitting into this strange world. She didn't like how familiar Laura was with their ways, their dress, and their odd behaviors. A person had to adapt to their surroundings, of course, but it was as if Laura felt that she _belonged_ here, and not back in her own world!

When they finished, Laura politely excused herself. "I'm tired out," she explained. "I think I overdid it today and need a nice, long nap."

Perfect. With Laura asleep, Ali would be free to make her way back to the library and find that book.

"You go ahead," she told her friend. "Will I see you again for dinner?"

Laura shook her head. "The Queen wants Tarrant and me to join her tonight," she said apologetically. "I'm afraid you'll have to dine alone."

Even better. It would give her plenty of time to spend in the library, doing research and putting her plan into action.

With a final wave, Ali shut the door to Laura's suite behind her. After making sure the coast was clear, she headed off down the hallway, smiling.

* * *

Discreetly following the retreating figure, Mally sniffed the air and scowled. Something didn't smell right, and Mallymkun, protector of the Lady of Diamonds, Mother to the Future Heir, was determined to find out why that was.

It had started with the arrival of the False Alice. Everyone within Marmoreal knew her by that name, because that was what she'd claimed to be. Perhaps she was descended from the Alice they all knew and loved, but being of the same blood and face did not make her whom she'd claimed to be. The Queen had dealt with girl's falsehoods by sending her back to her world, but now she was back, and Mally was sure there would be trouble.

When the truth of the deception came out, Mally had suspected that Laura would be the same as the False Alice. After all, were the two girls not friends, and from the same world?

But Laura had been the opposite. She had humbled herself before the Queen and her Court, and asked for forgiveness. Even more surprising was that Laura had been willing to accept any punishment handed to her by the Queen, whereas the False Alice had remained stoic as a statue.

That humbleness had spoken volumes of Laura's personality, and had earned her the Court's favor. After she'd been forced to remain in Underland and given the position as the Queen's herb gatherer, she didn't think to act above anyone or anything. That was why the talking flowers were willing to tolerate her, in spite of Laura being human: she showed respect to every living creature, and the flowers respected her for that.

'_She has such a kind, loving heart_,' Mally smiled to herself.

She could see also see how Tarrant had fallen so deeply in love with Laura. The poor Hatter had been one of the last surviving members of his clan, and though he'd probably never realized it, he'd been very lonely. The few remaining Hightopp Clan members had been some married couples who had been traveling around Underland, and a handful of lucky children to have escaped the Jabberwocky's slaughter. Tarrant had been uncomfortable with raising children at the time, so those married couples had taken the children, leaving Tarrant rather alone in the world.

'_That was a pity, since with the death of his father, Tarrant had also become the Head of his Clan_.' Mally shook her head in sympathy.

As such, he should have married as soon as possible, but with the rise of the Red Queen, he'd pushed that aside to fight. His friends had been people and creatures outside his Clan, but none of them were human females. In fact, he'd never shown interest in a woman until Laura appeared. Then everything had changed for the better, both for Tarrant and, in Mally's opinion, for Laura.

Mally bit back a sigh, so as not to attract attention. She had always admired the Hatter, perhaps a little more than she should. After all, he was strong, brave, and willing to fight the good fight, even if it could cost him his life. Mally found all those traits very appealing, and had searched a long time for a male Dormouse who possessed them. A pity Tarrant wasn't a mouse, or she'd have snatched him up at once.

'_As it is, I'm perfectly happy as his friend-in-arms, and friend-in-fact_,' Mally thought with a smile.

That was why she was following the False Alice through the halls of Marmoreal. That girl was up to something, and Mally needed to find out what. No doubt it had something to do with Tarrant and Laura; if so, Mally was going to find out what it was, and put a stop to it.

'_Not alone, though_,' she chided herself. '_I'll get help at once if I discover anything_.'

In the past, her temper sometimes got the better of her and sent her charging head-first into danger. But things were different now –she could not afford to loose her wits, particularly not when so much was at risk. Laura meant the world to Tarrant, and both Hightopps meant the world to Mally. Plus, there was their child to consider, a child who would not only be of her two friends, but also the heir to Underland's throne. Loosing her temper was not an option this time.

To her surprise, the False Alice, or 'Ali,' as Laura called her, turned into the library and headed straight for the section dedicated to the study of potions. What possible interest could she have in those?

Scowling, Mally wondered if she should slip into the library and get a closer look to find out. There was a great deal of open floor between the door and that particular section; if she tried to follow Ali, then she would be spotted. After that, Ali would no doubt be more careful and try to avoid Mally at all costs.

"Another time, then," she muttered, one paw on her sword.

Turning, she headed back down the hallway. There was a particular feline she needed to talk to, and Mally had no doubt that he'd be willing to help her with this little task.

* * *

AN: Thank goodness for dear Mallymkun! More fun next time!


	6. Sneaking and Spying

Disclaimer: Sadly, _**Alice in Wonderland**_ belongs to Lewis Carroll, Disney, and whoever else owns the rights. Only original characters and ideas belong to me.

AN: This chapter's going to be a wee bit shorter than usual, but I promise the next one will be longer. Thanks so much for reading, and please review!

**Chapter 6: Sneaking and Spying:**

Twitching her whiskers, Mally kept a close eye on the young woman from the Above Realm. She was beginning to look rather anxious, and more than a little angry and upset, though Mally could only guess why. She knew that the False Alice was up to something (it was clear from her behavior that she was up to no good), so Mally had taken it upon herself to keep an eye on her.

However, she was not alone. A few nights ago, a concerned Mally had invited the Cheshire Cat to her quarters and voiced her suspicions to him. Not surprisingly, he'd agreed with her. Since cats were known for sneaking and spying, he recognized that Alice was up to something, and that 'something' likely included Laura.

"But we mustn't tell Tarrant," he'd warned her. "He's got enough on his mind as it is."

Well, Mally certainly understood _that_! The poor Hatter was always worried about Laura's well-being, and about their child's health as well. Every time he saw his wife, Tarrant looked as though he feared she would break into a thousand pieces if she even breathed wrong.

"If we tell him we suspect the False Alice of some horrible plot, he might take up a weapon and try to do her harm," Chess had continued, swishing his tail back and forth in thought.

"I wouldn't mind that," Mally muttered, fingering her saber.

"Bloodthirsty creature," the feline chided her. "You know that Tarrant would never forgive himself for it later."

That was true, so what could they do about it? Mally twitched her whiskers again as she tried to think.

"Should we keep an eye on her?" she asked. "It's easy for us, with me being so small and you with your invisibility powers."

"Hmm, yes, that would be best," Chess agreed, grinning broadly. "We shall take turns, so that neither Laura nor Tarrant wonder why one of us is always absent from our guard duties."

"Agreed," she said. "So who gets first watch?"

Mally had gotten that privilege, and since then, both she and Chess had done their best to see what the False Alice had been up to. Both of them compared notes in the dead of night, when Laura was safely with Tarrant, and Alice was in her own rooms, asleep. What they'd come up with did not sound good.

"It seems that, when she's alone, the False Alice has grown an affinity for the library," Chess said, looking thoughtful. "Namely one particular part of the library."

"Which part?" Mally asked, growing concerned. "I can never tell."

"The section that has to do with potions," her friend replied. "But what she would want with that knowledge is something I do not understand, nor like."

Neither had Mally. Currently, her eyes were focused on the doorway that led to the False Alice's rooms. Chess was keeping guard on Laura, who was choosing color combinations for a few outfits for the baby. Since she had no interest in baby clothes for any species, Mally was content with her lot. Besides, the halls were beginning to darken in the approaching evening, and that was when she could do her best spying.

A half hour ticked by, and finally, Alice emerged. Closing the door behind her, she smoothed out her skirts and headed for the library. It was her fifth or sixth visit over the past three days, and Mally was beginning to wonder what she was up to. Hopefully, she would find out today.

* * *

Taking down a book from the self, Ali tucked herself into a corner and picked up where she had left off the night before. For several evenings, this had been her secret routine: sneaking into the library to study the books on potion-making, and trying to find what she was looking for.

As it turned out, '_**Magical Brews and Their Purposes**_' was turning into a goldmine of very helpful information. It held pretty much what the title said: magical potions of Underland, and what they did. There were even pictures of the potions in various stages of completion, a list of their ingredients, and how to brew them.

Now, if Ali had the chance, she'd throw together her own little potion to send both herself and Laura back to their world. It really was too bad that she had no idea where to find the right ingredients, the time, and the right materials to actually cook the stuff in. All of that lay in the Queen's potion-making room, and Ali was certainly not allowed in _there_!

The good news was that she had managed to narrow down the long list of potions to a handful. Thank goodness there were very few that could transport/teleport a person from one world to another!

Still, it had taken a couple days for Ali to find what she was looking for in the book, because the author of the text hadn't listed anything in any particular order. It would have been a lot easier if the contents were divided into categories, or sections, or whatever, but it wasn't, and Ali had been forced to read through it one potion at a time to find what she was looking for.

'_Lucky for me, I have a good memory when it comes to learning things_, _and there were only four potions for me to memorize_.'

She already knew what the teleportation potions would look like at this phase of brewing (approximately three days), and where they would send the drinker after they were consumed.

However, there were two or three problems. The first was that she needed to be sure there would be enough for two people, namely her and Laura. The second: she had to get into the Queen's potion-making room to see whether there was enough of the potion for two.

But the thing she was worried about most was how she was going to get Laura to actually drink the potion in the first place. It would take a lot of thought and cunning if she was going to succeed in doing that.

'_But first things first: I have to get into the Queen's brewing room_.'

She'd wait until midnight to do so, when everyone was asleep. Hopefully, there wouldn't be many servants or guards wandering the halls then.

* * *

It was after midnight when Ali slipped out of her room and into the darkened halls of Marmoreal. Everything was quiet; the only sound was a breeze of air as it whispered through the deserted hallways of the White Queen's castle.

Clad in breeches and a shirt, with soft satin shoes on her feet, Ali made not a sound as she tiptoed towards her destination. There were a few chance encounters with a passing maid or guard, but for the most part, things were quiet.

After a few minutes, she stopped before the doors of the potion room and gently turned the large knob. It didn't make a squeak –even the door swung open without a sound.

Checking to make sure the room itself was empty, she quickly slipped inside and gently shut the door behind her. '_Should I lock it_?' she wondered, then shook her head. '_No, not if it wasn't locked earlier_.'

Locking the door would keep out unwanted visitors, but if the lock hadn't been thrown when she got here, doing so would probably attract unwanted attention. Servants tended to know which doors were kept open, and if Ali locked a door that was normally wasn't, a servant might get suspicious and try to find out what was going on. She kept the lock open.

The inside of the White Queen's potion room was dark, with only a few candles and lamps lit for illumination. Taking a chance, she lit a few more lamps. When the room was moderately illuminated, Ali looked around and gasped.

It was unlike anything she had ever seen. In her head, she had imagined a small, shut-in space with a tiny window, a small fireplace with an equally small cauldron boiling on it, and a table holding ingredients to make stuff with.

The reality was very different. It was actually a huge room, and instead of a single tiny window, there were six tall ones, each window bearing stunning stained glass topped by the Queen's coat of arms. In the far wall was a fireplace big enough to roast a whole cow, and in the fireplace were three cauldrons, each dangling from its own hook. Presently, the fire had burned down to glowing embers, and the cauldrons were merely warm, not boiling.

But what really caught Ali's attention was the number of tables spread throughout the room. There were five tables total –four long tables forming a square, and a smaller, perfectly square table in the center. The longer tables held all types of ingredients: dried and fresh herbs, flowering plants in clay pots, and even pickled vegetables, though what use _they_ could possibly have was beyond her.

But some of what she saw was incredibly gross. There were eyeballs floating in jars, as well as dried fingers, bird feathers, insect wings, and all sorts of other pickled and jellied things that Ali did not want to think about.

'_Oh, man, these people are seriously messed up_,' she shuddered. All the more reason to get Laura out of here, and fast.

Ali herself was extremely eager and impatient to get out of this wacked-out fantasy world. Perhaps growing up in Alice Kingsley's shadow (and with her name) had put Alice Cunningham off of the world of magic and wonder. When she was a little girl, Ali hadn't been one for fairy tales or make-believe –considering that one of the greatest fantasy stories in history was about a member of her family, and she'd had the history of that book crammed down her throat from a young age, it was really no surprise.

In Ali's ideal world, there was no room for imaginary places, talking animals, and magic potions. While her cousins had tea parties with their dolls, and even acted out scenes from the book about their ancestor, Ali had turned towards romance novels and "real" literature, like Jane Austen and Charles Dickens. She had sometimes indulged in Homer, but mostly she'd stuck with books that had been focused on the "real" world. Fantasy had not been appealing to her.

Sighing, Ali shook her head. She missed her life back in England, and everything she had left behind. When she and Laura were back, she would make sure that her parents provided both of them with a cushy life on the estate. Laura would like living in the Cunningham guest house; the first floor alone was bigger than both their old apartments put together. Besides, as long as Ali was happy, Mr. and Mrs. Cunningham would have no trouble with their daughter and her best friend living together.

Closing her eyes, Ali focused on her reason for being in this particular room. '_Come on, Ali, concentrate_,' she ordered herself.

Turning her attention to the central table, she felt her eyes widen. It was the Underland version of a chemistry set, with beakers, tubes, and lit candles set up all over the surface of the wood. Most of the beakers had odd-colored liquids in them, and the tubes were either dripping a variety of liquids, or transferring colored steams from one beaker to another. Some glass containers were held over intensely burning candles, the potions in them bubbling and churning madly as their ingredients mixed in them. Others were cold and their contents were still, so perhaps they were finished?

Going from one potion to another, Ali recalled what she'd learned in the library. Most she rejected at once, because none of their colors matched what she'd studied. A few came close, but something told Ali they weren't what she was looking for.

Finally, she narrowed it down to two potions, and to her relief, there was enough for two people in both containers. The problem was waiting for them to simmer down to their finished product, finding which potion was the right one, and getting Laura to drink it without getting suspicious.

'_Yeah, like all that will just be a piece of cake_.'

For now, she'd wait and come back in a day or so to see which potion was the right one. Then, she'd have to figure out how to get her hands on it, and get Laura to drink it.

Sighing, Ali slipped out of the room and into the empty hallways.

* * *

Scowling, Mallymkun watched the False Alice slip out of the Queen's beloved potion room and back down the hallway.

'_Now what could she possibly want in there_?' Mally had a guess, but she had to be sure.

Slipping out from her hiding place, she followed the girl back to her rooms, and watched her go inside, the door locking behind her. Good, she wouldn't be going out again tonight; this left plenty of time for Mally to piece things together.

Back down the halls she went, until she came to the immense doors of the library. There, she made her way in and headed for the section that held the sacred texts of potion-making.

Mally had thought there was no one inside the place at this hour, but apparently she was wrong. The minute she got to her destination, she saw Chess floating at eye-level with one of the shelves.

"Chess!" she softly exclaimed, attracting his attention. "What are you doing here?"

Eerie bright blue eyes glowed as he grinned at her. "Looking into Alice's sudden interest in herbology," he replied, turning back towards the shelf. "She's been browsing through this part of the library for days, and I am curious as to why."

"You aren't the only one," Mally muttered. "I just caught her sneaking out of the Queen's potion room, and I can only imagine what she's been up to."

She gave him a scathing look. "And here I thought tonight was _my_ turn to keep an eye on Alice?"

Chess merely chuckled and kept browsing the shelves. "It is, my dear," he replied. "But you know how we cats are: when we're curious about something, we can't resist investigating it."

Now Mally was curious, too. "So what have you found?"

"Hmm," he purred thoughtfully. "I'm thinking that, whatever it is, it isn't good."

Finding a particular book on the shelf, Chess reached out and plucked it from its spot. "This particular text is out of place. The Queen likes to keep this section well-organized, in case she must find something in a hurry, and this tome is not where it's supposed to be."

Mally looked at the title, and her off-white fur instantly went a shocking white. "Oh, dear."

It was a book on potions and their uses. Chess immediately floated down to her height and began pawing through the pages until they reached where the ribbon bookmarker was tucked. It was a brew that would transport the drinker to any place they wanted to go to.

"There are other pages that have been, to turn a phrase, dog-eared," Chess said, turning to those sections. "Not significantly, but I can see where the corners of the pages have been folded down to mark them as important. The Queen would never ruin her books in such a manner, so this must be Alice's work."

"Which parts have been marked?" she squeaked, swallowing harshly.

"They're all transportation or teleportation potions," Chess gravely replied. "Alice must be trying to find a way back to her world before the Queen sends her back."

"Now, that makes no sense," Mally declared with a scowl. "She's going home no matter what, and right quick, too. Why take all the trouble of searching for a potion mixture to brew when one is already being brewed for you? And with the same purpose?"

"Because I don't think Alice intends for this potion to be strictly for her own use," the feline said, his face lacking any resemblance of a grin.

"Laura," Mally gasped, going weak in the knees. "She's planning on taking Laura with her!"

Chess nodded and returned the book to its proper place. "It's the only explanation. If Alice were to find a way to recognize the potion that would return her to her world, then steal some of it from the Queen's stores and slip it to Laura, they would both leave Underland, possibly forever."

Mally put a paw on her saber. "We can't allow that to happen. Laura's child is destined to rule Underland, and Tarrant would die of heartache within a minute after her departure."

"And there's the fact that Laura would never leave her husband," Chess reminded her. "Nor would she leave this realm; she loves this world too much, and I doubt she would fit back into her old life."

"So it's up to us to find a way," Mally declared, drawing her sword. "But we must not tell Tarrant; it would only infuriate him, and we don't want anyone to get hurt, not even the False Alice."

"Hmm, no, not even she deserves to be on the receiving end of Tarrant's anger," Chess agreed. "So what are we to do?"

When it came to Underland magic, there was only one person who could help them.

"Let's go," she said, heading for the door. "I have an idea."

* * *

AN: Review!


	7. Underhandedness

Disclaimer: Sadly, _**Alice in Wonderland**_ belongs to Lewis Carroll, Disney, and whoever else owns the rights. Only original characters and ideas belong to me.

AN: Story's almost over: just an epilogue, and that'll be it. I'll be posting a _**Phantom-Twilight**_ crossover within the next week or two, so keep an eye out for that. Thanks for reading, and please review!

**Chapter 7: Underhandedness:**

"I don't like it," Tarrant muttered as he paced the length of our bedroom.

I sighed and rolled my eyes as I brushed out my hair. "Tarrant, darling, you've said that every morning since Ali's been here. I know you dislike her but-"

He stopped in his pacing and looked at me. "I have a terrible feeling about her, my love," he said, coming over to put his hands on my shoulders. "I know she is your friend, but you are different since your arrival here, and she knows this. I fear that she does not like what you have become, and wishes to return you to the way you were before."

Setting the brush down, I turned in my chair to face him. "I can't go back to the person I was before coming here," I said, taking his hands in mine. "Deep down, Ali must know this, too, just as she also knows that I will not leave this world, or you, no matter how hard she pleads. And you have to admit that she's getting better at accepting my decision."

"That is part of what I don't like," he replied. "I know she has been calm and accepting of your choice to stay in Underland, but it is that exact calmness and acceptance that makes me uneasy. Alice is not the sort of person to give up, not even when she's has been told she must do so."

I couldn't bear to look at him, because I knew he was right. Ali had always been a stubborn girl, and didn't give things up easily, especially if she wanted it bad enough. She was from a rich, noble family, and was therefore used to getting her own way. If anyone refused her, Ali mulishly did everything she could until she got whatever it was she wanted.

A hand tinted with orange specks reached under my chin and gently tilted my head back. "You know I am right, then," he whispered, bright green eyes looking deep into mine.

"Yes," I dejectedly admitted as my heart plunged down to my feet. "I know what she's normally like, but she's seemed so different since our confrontation last week. I mean, we've had lunch and tea together every day, and she had been on her best behavior."

Tarrant looked thoughtful. "Then she must be biding her time." He gave me a very focused and determined look. "Laura, you must be careful when you are with her from now on. Do you understand?"

I tried to protest, but he stopped me. "Just because she has not acted before doesn't mean she isn't planning to act soon. The Queen will be returning her to the Realm Above, and until Alice is safely away, you must always be on your guard, not merely for you, but for our child."

My protective instincts broke through my unease. If Ali tried anything that would hurt my child in any way, there would be hell to pay.

"That's my bonnie girl," Tarrant proudly declared, pressing a kiss to my forehead.

I chuckled and kissed him smack on the mouth. "Promise me something?" I asked after pulling back from our kiss. "I know you're planning on making more clothes for the baby, but _promise_ me that you won't use so much lace on the outfits? You're going to turn our child into a ball of frills, and I don't think he, or she, will appreciate it very much."

He pouted, but nodded. "Very well, I shall attempt to restrain myself."

With one last kiss, Tarrant was out the door, leaving me to finish getting ready for my lunch with Ali.

* * *

Today was the day. Everything Ali had been working for would come together in just a few minutes, and within the hour, both of them would be back in England, where they belonged.

'_Well, there's the chance Laura won't want to live or raise her child in England, but if that's the case, we can always move elsewhere_,' she shrugged.

No matter. If Laura wanted to raise her baby elsewhere, Ali would do her best to arrange it. She might even be named the baby's godmother or aunt! How wonderful would that be?

'_But first things first_,' she reminded herself, patting the hidden pocket of her deep blue gown.

Finally, after a week of researching, studying, and sneaking, she had what she needed to get them both home. In her pocket was the potion that would return them to their world, a potion she'd obtained using her calculations, a small process of elimination, and a bit of the White Queen's unintended help.

It had been midnight when she'd slipped into the potion-brewing room. The secretive journey there had been her third, for after she'd first narrowed down the potions to two, she'd visited there a second time to check the progress of the potions. For her third visit, both of the potions had been put into glass beakers and set aside to cool –but only one was the color she wanted.

Since the place was basically a laboratory, Ali had no trouble finding a couple small glass vials with stoppers, and a little medicine dropper so she could sneak some of the brew into the vial. It took her only a minute to get what she needed, and five minutes after that, she was back in her room.

That night, Ali slept like a log, the best night of rest she'd ever had in Underland. She dreamed that they were both back home, living in a large house together. In the dream, she was spoiling Laura's child with toys and outfits, all while her friend smiled and looked on.

Dawn came, clear and perfect, and Ali woke feeling at ease and refreshed. She breakfasted, read in the library for a while, and when her stomach began to grumble in hunger, she went to meet Laura out in the gardens for lunch, as scheduled.

Today, she arrived early, so that she could put her plan into action. She asked a maid to bring lemonade for two, since the day was warm, and Laura was bound to be thirsty. The maid did so, retrieving a tray with a pitcher of the liquid, and two filled glasses. A bucket of ice was brought out by a fish-butler while a large umbrella was set up by a human one. In minutes, all three servants retreated, leaving Ali to wait for Laura.

Since she was a bit parched, Ali sipped at her lemonade to cool off. As she drank, her eyes wondered around her surroundings. Cheerful birds sang in the trees, and a warm breeze stirred the flowers into a pretty dance on their stems. A very pretty scene, and one she wouldn't have minded if she were back home.

Here in Underland, however, several of the flowers giggled and made comments about the soil or the strength of the breezes. The birds sounded normal enough, though one or two sang out "love, love, love," or "pretty day, pretty day, pretty day." How frustrating!

Sighing, Ali put down her empty glass and refilled it. She could hear voices approaching, and quickly pulled out the glass vials from her dress. Popping the corks, she dumped one vial into each glass, corked the vials again, and hid them away just as Laura appeared, her feline and rodent bodyguards close behind.

'_Thank goodness the potion is a very pale green_,' Ali thought in relief. '_The book said it's odorless, but sour in taste. Hopefully, the lemonade will cover that up_.' She also prayed that no one, particularly the Cheshire Cat, would notice the slight difference in the lemonade's coloring.

"Laura, dear, you look positively done for," she said, reaching out to take her friend's hands. "Please sit down and get off your feet."

"That sounds like a great idea," Laura agreed, all but collapsing into a chair. "Is it just me, or is it unusually warm out today?"

Ali chuckled. "Maybe it's the hormones?"

The Cat and Mouse looked puzzled, but Laura laughed. "It could be," she said, rubbing her belly. "But sometimes the weather here swings wildly from pleasantly perfect, right to far too warm or downright freezing! Personally, I've never experienced the freezing cold weather, but I've heard that it's possible."

"Freezing cold is quite rare," the Mouse put in. "Too hot happens far more often."

"Indeed," the Cheshire Cat agreed. "But even in the hottest weather, the halls of Marmoreal are kept pleasantly cool by the Queen's magic, so you've nothing to worry about."

"But since we aren't inside right now, perhaps you should have something to drink," Ali said, smiling at her friend. "I had them bring lemonade, since I know it's your favorite."

Not suspecting a thing, Laura reached for her glass and took a long drink. "Oh, that's wonderful," she sighed in relief, right before she drank the whole glass down.

Ali swallowed down her own glass, her insides quivering with excitement. Within minutes, they would be back home –she could hardly wait!

Sitting patiently, she watched and waited as servants brought out food, laid it on the table, and put plates down for four: Laura, Ali, the Cheshire Cat, and the Dormouse. Ali bit back a sneer at having to share a table with animals, but figured it wouldn't matter since they'd be gone soon.

Finally, she felt something begin to stir in her stomach, a strange bubbly feeling that spread through her veins and up into her head. She glanced over at Laura, and saw the puzzled and surprised look on her face that clearly indicated she was experiencing the same sensations.

A swirl of tiny purple lights formed around them, and Ali felt a thrill of excitement and hope. Soon, this would all be over, and everything would be alright.

But it didn't turn out quite as she expected, because instead of the two of them being transported back home…nothing happened.

* * *

I had no idea what the heck was going on, but I knew it couldn't be good. One minute I was sipping lemonade, and blissfully wondering if my baby would one day enjoy the beverage in the future. The next minute, I felt all strange and tingly, as though my veins were suddenly full of soda pop, and weird purple lights were flying everywhere.

Then the lights were gone, and it took me a minute to gather my thoughts together. I knew something magical had happened, but what it was, I couldn't tell. It wasn't evil or anything, as far as I could figure, but it had been done without my consent. Who could have done this, and what was it meant to do?

"Laura, are you alright?" cried a high voice.

I turned to see Mallymkun gripping one of my fingers in her paws. Chess had floated down and taken my other hand, his bright blue eyes scanning me for any harm. "I'm – I'm fine," I replied, shaking my head to try and clear it. "What happened?"

'_Okay, Laura, try to think calmly and rationally_,' I told myself. '_First, who could have done this to you without anyone else knowing_?'

As far as I knew, I had no enemies in Underland, so that pretty much narrowed it down to nobody. The Knave was still imprisoned in the Outlands, with no hope of escape, so he wasn't the culprit. However, there _was_ one person who desperately wanted me out of this world, and she was not from Underland…

My eyes turned towards Ali, who looked trapped between anger, confusion, and frustration. She looked like she wanted to scream out profanities, but was holding them back for appearances' sake. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Chess and Mally follow my line of sight, and knew they were glaring at her.

"What have you done?" demanded Mally. "I know you did something to Laura, now tell me what!"

Chess vanished in a poof of vapor, only to appear behind Ali, who was trying to get to her feet. "I'd stay put if I were you," he said calmly, flexing his claws. "And answer the Dormouse like a good girl. I myself would like to know what you attempted on the mother of Underland's heir."

Ali crossed her arms and glared at Mally. "I did try something, but it didn't work, and I don't know why."

"I do," replied a soft voice.

The four of us turned to see the White Queen enter the garden, seeming to float effortlessly as she approached our table. Behind her was Tarrant, who looked as though he were ready to kill something. I swallowed nervously and tried to get out of my chair, determined to prevent a disaster from happening.

To my surprise, Tarrant merely threw a harsh glare in Ali's direction, and made his way directly to me. One of his hands came to rest gently on my shoulder while the other grasped my chin in a delicate hold. As he looked at me, the orange-red tint in his eyes vanished and the anger drained out of his face.

"Are you alright, dearest one?" he asked, green eyes staring into mine. "Are you unhurt?"

I nodded. "I'm alright, just frightened about the little one. What if the magic harmed the baby?"

"You need not worry, Laura," the Queen assured me. "Your child is safe. The magic in the potions was not strong enough to do what it was intended, though it did try its best."

She looked over at Ali. "Mallymkun told me what you have been attempting to do this past week. She and the Cheshire Cat have been keeping a very firm eye on you, and when you were close to succeeding in your plan, they came to me in the hopes of defeating you."

I felt cold. "What plan?" I asked the Queen, ignoring the fuming look on Ali's face.

"Alice wanted to return the both of you to the Above Realm," she explained. "Her plan was to retrieve enough of the potion to send the both of you away, and slip it into your food or drink in order for you to consume it. Had it worked, you would not be here now, nor would you have been able to return."

"Ali!" I half gasped, half cried. "Why would you do that? I told you I'm happy here! Why can't you just accept it and let me live the life I want?"

"Because you don't belong here!" Ali cried, getting angrily to her feet.

With a bit of help from Tarrant, I struggled to mine. "That is not your decision to make," I snapped at her. "It is _mine_, because it is _my_ life, not yours. You have no right to force me to do anything, you spoiled girl!"

I pointed at her, cutting off her reply. "Yes, you _are_ a spoiled little girl. It's time you grew up and lived with the fact that the world does not revolve around you. There are more important things in this world, and any other world, than my catering to your selfish needs and tantrums. I was foolish for not having seen it before, but now that I have, I'll be glad to see you leave here and never return."

My tirade over, I huffed in anger and sat down. Tarrant, the sweet man that he was, began rubbing my shoulders and neck with those skilled hands of his. Mally gave me a proud smile while Chess gave me an affectionate wink, both of them clearly showing their approval.

Taking a deep breath, I looked over at the Queen. "So what is this potion supposed to do, even if it didn't work?"

She smiled. "When brewed properly, it is supposed to give the drinker whatever it is they are wishing for most at that moment. Alice, no doubt, wanted the both of you to return to the other realm. You, of course, wish very strongly to remain here, with your husband, friends, and child. I had brewed a very weak version of the potion, so that it could not grant any wish, not even a very small one."

The Queen paused and looked over at Ali. "Even if it had worked properly, your wish would not have been able to come true. Since both your desires and Laura's conflicted so greatly, they would have neutralized one another, and nothing would have happened."

Ali looked stunned. "But it matched everything I studied in the library!" she protested. "The color, the time it took to brew, everything!"

Mally looked smug. "You may have been studying every transportation potion you could find, but you haven't learned about anything else. Once the Queen knew what you were up to, she adjusted a few things she already had brewing, and whipped up something that would resemble what you were looking for, but in fact wasn't."

Queen Mirana sighed and gave Ali a sympathetic look. "It would have been much better had you merely accepted Laura's happiness and her new life. Had you done so, I would not have objected to you occasionally returning to see her. But in lieu of your actions, I must banish you forever from Underland. You will never see her again."

Ali went pale, but before she could so much as prepare for a tirade or tantrum, the Queen pressed a delicate white finger to her forehead. Ali's pale blue eyes went blank, then rolled up inside her head as she slipped into unconsciousness. To my relief, Chess caught her before she toppled from her chair. I may be furious with her, but I did not want to see her hurt.

From out of nowhere, a pair of elite guards arrived and bowed to the Queen. She nodded in reply, and waved a hand in Ali's direction. "Return Miss Cunningham to her quarters. She is to be confined there until I send for her tomorrow morning."

The guards nodded, and one of them handed his spear to his comrade before scooping Ali up in his arms. The two bowed once more, then retreated inside, leaving the five of us alone in the gardens.

"So what happens tomorrow?" I asked.

"I will send her home to her world," the Queen replied. "And that will be the end of it."

"Thank goodness," Tarrant muttered, a hand going to caress my stomach. "I'll rest easier once she's gone."

"As will I," I replied, snuggling close to him.

He pulled me out of my chair and into a warm embrace. "Let me take you inside, my love. You must eat and rest, both of which you won't find out here."

I looked at the table, already set with a lovely luncheon for two. "But the table is already set," I protested as Tarrant helped me to my feet. "I would hate seeing such a wonderful meal go to waste."

Chess gave a soft, purr-like chuckle. "Have no fear of that. I'll invite the March Hare to join us out here for luncheon. Between him, the Dormouse and myself, we can make short work of these. Go enjoy a meal with your husband and rest. You deserve it."

Sighing, I nodded and allowed Tarrant to lead me back to our rooms. He sat me down at the table and ordered a passing servant to bring a large meal. Half an hour later, I was finishing a fine lunch tucked in my stomach, and no doubt a very happy baby enjoying the food that Tarrant had provided.

When I'd finished my last bite, I managed to heave myself out of my chair and off to bed, where I promptly kicked off my shoes and laid down, closing my eyes in relief. I felt the bed shift as Tarrant climbed in beside me and put an arm around my waist. I smiled as he began nuzzling my neck and stroking my hair.

Opening my eyes, I saw those bright green orbs staring down at me with such love it made my very toes curl with warmth. Nothing needed to be said between us. Instead, we both grinned, right before Tarrant leaned down and kissed me.

* * *

AN: Up next: the epilogue, and the end of my _**Alice in Wonderland**_ series. Thanks for reading, and please review!


	8. Epilogue

Disclaimer: Sadly, _**Alice in Wonderland**_ belongs to Lewis Carroll, Disney, and whoever else owns the rights. Only original characters and ideas belong to me.

AN: This is it: the end of the story! I might (someday) do another Original Character in Underland story, but for now, I'm putting those ideas aside to do other categories. This time, it's _**Phantom-Twilight**_, since the movie is coming out soon. I might move onto _**Pirates**_, and (maybe) another Underland story. In the meantime, I invite everyone to enjoy this epilogue. I hope you all had fun reading my story, and will leave a review. Thanks so much, and much love to you all!

**Epilogue:**

When the next day dawned, the Queen did as she promised: she sent Ali back to England.

The whole Court had gathered for the event, and once again, my former friend attempted to persuade me to go back with her.

"Laura, please," she whispered as I squeezed her hands goodbye. "Just come back with me! It's not too late to change your mind."

"There's nothing to change," I told her, softly but firmly. "This is my home now, and I am happy here. Go back to England, find more friends, and try to be happy, if only for your own sake."

I pressed a swift kiss to her forehead. "Good bye, Ali."

From the sidelines, I watched as she downed the concoction that would send her back. A minute later, Alice Cunningham was gone from my life, vanishing in a swirl of blue and white light. Beside me, Tarrant pulled me close and pressed a kiss of his own to my temple.

After that, I tried not to think too much about my former friend, but I had to know if she had followed my advice to be happy. Eventually, the Queen used her powers to create a magic looking glass so that I could check in on Ali once and a while. Tarrant didn't approve at first, but as time went by, he thawed towards the idea. That might have been because Ali eventually began to live her life again, and move on from thinking about me.

As time passed, she made friends, started to date, and eventually found a guy who could make her happy. Ali's spoiled, selfish attitude was no match for her boyfriend-turned-husband, who was stubborn, but was also a good man. He didn't let her have her way all the time, and often put his foot down. He also knew when it was a good idea to put up a fight, or let things go (which rarely happened).

Thank goodness for her husband, because a few years after her final departure from Underland, Ali had a baby of her own. Her son is currently growing up in a home with two loving parents, and becoming a fairly well-rounded youngster.

* * *

As for me, I finally gave birth to the long-awaited heir to Underland's throne. Tarrant was an absolute mess during the last month of my pregnancy, and when I'd told him it was "time," he had thought Time itself had come, and looked around for it. When I managed to finally get through to him that the baby was coming, he fainted.

Thank goodness for Chess and Marchie. They had come running when news spread that the baby was coming, and had managed to help Tarrant regain consciousness and keep him preoccupied in the next room while I was in labor. They were able to make him alert and distracted until the Queen came to announce the birth of our child, a beautiful baby girl. Then he'd fainted _again_. Luckily, the Queen had smelling salts.

The labor had not been fun, of course, but when I was handed my baby girl, it was all worth it. She had my dark brown hair, and strangely enough, had the brightest sapphire-blue eyes I'd ever seen. I had no idea where the color had come from, until Tarrant joined me on the bed.

"Blue eyes," he murmured, leaning close to admire her. "Just like my mother's."

I looked at him. "You're mother?" He'd never spoken about his family before.

He nodded. "My mother had the bluest eyes you'd ever seen. My father often said he had fallen in love with her because of those eyes."

"What about your father's eyes?" I whispered, rocking our baby back and forth.

Tarrant shrugged. "I inherited his green eyes, but Mother's red hair. I'm proud of that."

Nibbling my lip in thought, I looked at him. "What was you mother's name?"

"Sapphira," he'd replied.

A few days later, our daughter was officially given the name Sapphira Rose Hightopp. She was given the Queen's blessing before the entire Royal Court, and acknowledged by all as the heir to the throne. Tarrant looked as though he'd burst with pride, and honestly, I rather felt the same way.

* * *

In spite of his nervousness at being a father, Tarrant turned out to be a great dad. He held Sapphira when she cried, burped her after I fed her, and even helped with diaper changes, which I'd never pictured him doing.

But best of all, he sang to her and told her stories. Every night, before she closed her eyes, I would stand and watch as Tarrant whispered a soft little song or tale into our baby's ears, sending her into sweet dreams that left her waking cheerfully each morning. Bedtime was a very special moment for us, and I cherished it.

As she grew older and began to crawl, walk, and run, our sweet Rosie (as we called her) became the handful that all toddlers are, but Tarrant took it all in stride (literally and figuratively). He chased after her if she ran out an open door and down a hallway, squealing with glee as her father caught her and brought her home. There was much chiding from both of us, but that never stopped her from doing it again.

Of course, it didn't help that Tarrant was the 'soft one' when it came to discipline. Whenever he saw our little girl's big blue eyes staring innocently up at him, he caved like a ton of bricks. If she did anything too bad, though, Tarrant was the first to deliver a lecture and punishment.

As the Mommy, I had to be the firm hand, but at least Rosie respected whatever punishments I gave her. She learned her lesson after being given a 'time out' or a swift swat to the bottom, and understood that she was not to do it again –or at least not get caught doing it again.

But Tarrant and I weren't the only ones raising our little princess. When she was old enough to slip out of her room, both Chess and Mallymkun became invaluable at keeping tabs on Rosie whenever she went out wandering behind our backs. Between the two of them, they managed to bring her back to us, no matter what hour it was. Having four pairs of eyes for a single child sometimes came in very handy.

Thankfully, her rebellious stage ran out quickly. When she was five-years-old, Rosie seemed to sense that she was destined for something great. The Queen noticed her sudden seriousness, and immediately began her education. Lady Sapphira, as everyone in the Court was asked to call her, quickly took to her schooling, and soaked up her lessons in etiquette, governance, politics, public behavior, and most of all, _magic_.

* * *

"Mama, look what I made!"

My excited twelve-year-old rushed into the room, a beaker of bubbling pink liquid in her hands. I eyed it skeptically and looked over her shoulder to see Tarrant come in behind her. He smiled and winked, which meant that whatever potion Rosie had made did what it was supposed to. That was good, considering what happened last time…

"What is it, sweetheart?" I asked, leaning forward as she held up the beaker to my eyelevel.

"It's a potion that'll change a flower's color!" she crowed excitedly. "You pour it on the flower, and the petals will change to whatever color the flower wants to be!"

"Well, isn't that wonderful?" I said. "Did you try it out yet? Perhaps you should ask the flowers if they're willing to test it for you."

Rosie nodded, blue eyes flashing as she whirled around and raced out the door. Tarrant chuckled and came over to press a kiss to my lips.

"She's coming along marvelously," he said, pulling me out of my chair and into his arms. "The Queen is pleased, her tutors are thrilled, and both Chess and Mally are finally able to have some time to themselves. I think we're doing rather well, don't you think?"

I thought back to earlier today, when I'd checked Underland's psychic calendar, the Oraculum, and seen our daughter's future. I hadn't peeked _too_ far ahead, or tried to get too many details, but a single glimpse was all I needed.

A beautiful, regal woman with dark hair and brilliant blue eyes sat upon a throne in the halls of Marmoreal. Upon the tapestries hung along the walls were her coat-of-arms: a crown hovering above a diamond. Below the image read four simple words: Sapphira, Queen of Diamonds, Ruler of Underland.

I smiled. "Yes, I think we're doing very well."

* * *

AN: The end! Thanks so much to everyone who has read and/or reviewed! Now I'm off to work on my _**Phantom**_ story. Hope to see some of you there!


End file.
